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Louis  XIV  crowned  by  Victory 


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Q^uthot  of  "  toaaaya  on  French.  &Sidtozy,"  etc. 


ibew  JJotk:  ^he  Gentutif  bo, 

'9°  5 


Copyright,  1905,  by 
The  Century  Co. 


Published  October,  igos 


THE  DE  VINNE  PRESS 


Art 
library 

"DC 


CONTENTS 
I.    THE  PALACE 


CHAPTER 


PAGE 


I  The  Construction  of  the  Chateau 3 

3Q           n  The  Courtyards 7 

22          III  The  Ambassadors'  Staircase 13 

^''          IV  The  State  Apartments  of  the  King     ....  16 

c_           V  The  Grand  Gallery  and  its  Salons 22 

UJ 

^      *    VI  The  State  Apartments  of  the  Queen  ....  26 

VII  The  Private  Apartments  of  the  King  ....  34 

VIII  The  Apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon     .  43 
IX  The  Grand  Hall  of  the   Guards  and   Other 

Apartments 46 

yj          X  The  Apartments  of  Monseigneur 49 

XI  Various  Apartments  on  the  Ground  Floor    .     .  51 

XII  The  Chapel 54 


2 

X 

o      XIII  The  Grand   Commun 58 


XIV  The  King's  Stables 67 

XV  The  Kennels  and  the  Hunting-Train  ....  74 

II.     THE  PARK 

I  The  Gardens 81 

II  The  Terrace,  The  Fountains  and  Bosquets  .     .  87 

III  The  Orangery 99 

V 


Rj500683 


Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

IV  The  Kitchen-Garden loi 

V  The  Menagerie 103 

VI  Trianon 106 

vii  The  Parks 113 

VIII  The  Cost  of  Versailles 115 

IX  The  Meaning  of  Versailles 117 

X  The  Fetes  of  Versailles 120 

XI  Marly 128 


III.     THE   KING 

I  The  Service  of  the  King 147 

II  His  Daily  Life 154 

III  His  Method  of  Work 180 

IV  His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character     .     .  184 

V  Etiquette 220 

IV.     THE  COURT 

I  Madame  de  Maintenon 227 

II  Monseigneur 249 

III  The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  ....  272 

IV  The  Due  d'Anjou 294 

V  The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Berry 297 

VI  Monsieur  and  Madame 302 

VII  The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Chartres  ....  321 

VIII  The  King's  Children 328 

IX  The  Nobility 336 

X  Mechanism  of  the  Court  Life 344 

XI  Manners  and  Morals  of  the  Courtiers     .     .     .  355 

XII  Pleasures  of  the  Courtiers 364 

vi 


Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIII  The  Fetes 374 

XIV  The  Ceremonies 395 

XV  The  Theater 404 

XVI  The   Seamy   Side       410 

XVII  The  Court  and  Paris 416 

XVIII  The  Court  and  the  People 420 

XIX  The  End  of  the  Reign 425 

Index 441 


Vll 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Louis  XIV  crowned  by  Victory Frontispiece 

(From  the  painting  by  Mignard  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

*^  FACING    PAGE 

Plan  of  the  first  floor  of  the  Chateau  of  Versailles  in  the  time  of 

Louis  XIV 4 

(From  Dussieux's  Le  Chateau  de  Versailles) 

The  Chateau  of  Versailles  from  the  Place  d'Armes 7 

The  Marble   Court lo 

The  Reception  of  the  Great  Conde  by  Louis  XIV  at  Versailles      .     .  13 
(From  the  painting  by  Gerome  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum) 

The  Salon  of  Venus 17 

Charles  Lebrun 21 

(From  the  portrait  by  himself) 

The  Grand  Gallery 24 

Marie  Therese,  Queen  of  France 28 

(From  the  painting  by  Beaubrun  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

The  Marble  Staircase 32 

The  Grand  Antechamber  of  the  King,  or  CEil-de-Bceuf 35 

The  Hall  of  the  Council,  formerly  the  Cabinet  of  Louis  XIV  ...  40 

The  Salon  of  the  Clocks,  formerly  the  Cabinet  of  Agates    ....  46 

The  Chapel  from  the  Court  of  the  Ministers 54 

The  Interior  of  the  Chapel 56 

Jules  Hardouin  Mansart 59 

(From  the  painting  by  Rigaud) 

Equestrian  Statue  of  Louis  XIV  in  the  Royal  Courtyard,  Versailles  72 

Andre  Le  Notre 82 

(From  the  painting  by  Maratta) 

Fagade  of  the  Chateau  from  the  Terrace 85 

The  Fountain  and  Parterre  of  Latona 88 

The  Royal  Allee  from  the  Basin  of  Apollo 93 

ix 


List  of  Illustrations 


FACING    PAGE 

The  Basin  of  Neptune  and  the  Bosquets  of  the  Arch  of  Triumph 
and  of  the  Three  Fountains  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV     ....      95 
(From  the  painting  by  Martin  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Apollo  and  the  Nymphs 96 

(From  the  group  by  Girardon  in  the  Baths  of  Apollo) 

The   Colonnade 99 

The  Chateau  and  the  Orangery 100 

Plan  of  the  Gardens  of  Versailles 104 

(From  Dussieux's  Le  Chateau  de  Versailles) 

Trianon  from  the  Courtyard 109 

The  Salon  des  Glaces,  Trianon no 

The  Parterre  du  Midi 113 

Plan  of  the  Palace,  Park,  and  Town  of  Versailles 116 

The   Parterre   du   Nord 118 

Louise  Frangoise  de  la  Baume-le-Blanc,  Duchesse  de  la  Valliere  .     123 
(From  a  painting  by  Mignard,  belonging  to  M.  A.  M.  le  Berquier, 
Paris,   France) 

Anne  of  Austria 126 

(From  a  painting  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Anne  Marie  de  la  Tremoille,  Princesse  des  Ursins 137 

The  Chateau  from  the  Royal  Courtyard 148 

Louis  XIII  crowned  by  Victory 152 

(From  the  painting  by  Champagne) 

The  Bedchamber  of  Louis  XIV 157 

Louis  XIV  breakfasting  with  Moliere 164 

(From  the  painting  by  Vetter  in  the  Luxembourg) 

Louis  XIV  in  the  Gardens  of  Trianon 173 

(From  the  painting  by  Martin  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Jean  Baptiste  Colbert 181 

(From  the  painting  by   Nanteuil) 

Louis  XIV 184 

(From  the  painting  by  Rigaud  in  the  Louvre) 

Anne  of  Austria,  regent,  asking  a  blessing  for  her  children,  Louis 

XIV  and  Philippe  of  France 188 

(From  the  painting  by  Champagne  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

The  Marriage  of  Louis  XIV  and  Marie  Therese 193 

(From  the  painting  by  Lebrun  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Louis  XIV  in  the  Gardens  of  Versailles 200 

(From  the  painting  by  Martin  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

X 


List  of  Illustrations 


FACING    PAGE 

Jacques   Benigne   Bossuet 208 

(From  the  painting  by  Rigaud  in  the  Louvre) 

^   The  Basin  of  Apollo 216 

Frangoise  Athenais  de  Rochechouart,  Marquise  de  Montespan  .     .     .    232 
(From  the  painting  by  Ketscher  in  the  Royal  Gallery  of  Dresden) 

Frangoise  d'Aubigne,  Marquise  de  Maintenon 242 

(From  the  painting  by  Mignard  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Louis  of  France,   Grand  Dauphin 249 

(From  an   old  print) 

The  Grand  Dauphin  and  his  Family 255 

(From  the  painting  by  Mignard  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

The  Vestibule,   Trianon 264 

Louis  of  France,  Due  de  Bourgogne 277 

Marie  Adelaide,  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 284 

(From  the  painting  by  Santerre  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  as  Diana 289 

(From  the  statue  by  Coyzevox  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Philippe  of  France,  Due  d'Anjou  and  King  of  Spain 295 

(From  the  painting  by  Rigaud  in  the  Louvre) 

Philippe  of  France,  Due  d'Orleans .    „    304 

Elizabeth  Charlotte,  Duchesse  d'Orleans,   Princess   Palatine        .     .    312 
(From  the  painting  by  Rigaud  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Philippe,  Due  de  Chartres  and  Due  d'Orleans 323 

Mademoiselle    de    Blois,     Duchesse    de     Chartres    and    Duchesse 
d'Orleans       326 

(From  a  painting  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Mademoiselle    de    Blois,    La    Grande    Princesse    de    Conti      .    .    .    331 
(From  the  painting  by  Nattier  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Anne  Louise  Benedicte  de  Bourbon,  Duchesse  du  Maine    .     .     .     =    .     334 
(From  the  painting  by  Mignard  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Henri  de  Latour  d'Auvergne,  Marechal  de  Turenne 338 

(From  an  old  print) 

Louis  de  Rouvroy,  Due  de  Saint-Simon 342 

(From  a  painting  of  the  French  School  of  the  XVII  Century) 

Louis  XIV,  the  Princess  Palatine  and  Madame  de  Maintenon  re- 
ceiving the  Electoral  Prince  of  Saxony 351 

(From  the  painting  by  Silvestre  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

xi 


List  of  Illustrations 

FACING    PAGE 

Mademoiselle  de  Chartres,  Princesse  de  Conti 360 

Marie  de  Rabutin-Chantal,  Marquise  de  Sevigne 368 

(From  the  painting  by  Mignard) 

The  Basin  of  Flora,  Versailles 376 

The  Basin  of  Neptune 384 

La  Saone,  bronze  group  on  the  Terrace,  Versailles 393 

La  Dordogne,  bronze  group  on  the  Terrace,  Versailles 400 

Jean  Baptiste  Poquelin    (Moliere) 408 

(From  a  painting  of  the  French  School  of  the  XVII  Century) 

Louis  XIV  visiting  the  Manufactory  of  the  Gobelins 416 

(From  the  painting  by  De  Seve,  after  Lebrun,  in  the  Museum  of 
Versailles) 

The  Theatre  d'Eau,  Versailles 422 

(From  the  painting  by  Cotelle  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Trianon  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV 427 

(From  the  painting  by  Martin  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles) 

Louis  XIV  in  1706 436 

(From  the  wax  medallion  by  Benoist  in  the  king's  bedchamber, 
Versailles) 


Xll 


I 

THE  PALACE 


VERSAILLES  AND  THE  COURT 
UNDER  LOUIS  XIV 


THE  CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  CHATEAU 

TO  portray  the  court  of  Louis  XIV  it  is  necessary  to 
describe  the  Versailles  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
for  though  the  Chateau  of  Versailles  still  stands, 
that  which  made  it  once  the  wonder  of  Europe  is 
as  dead  as  Nineveh, 

On  the  1 8th  of  April,  1651,  the  young  Louis,  accompanied 
by  his  governor,  the  Marechal  de  Villeroi,  and  a  numerous 
suite,  paid  his  first  visit  to  Versailles.  He  was  then  thirteen 
years  of  age,  and  had  been  king  for  eight  years.  He  came  to 
hunt  in  the  woods,  and  dismounted  after  the  chase  to  sup  at 
the  chateau  ^  of  his  father,  a  building  of  moderate  size,  con- 
structed on  three  sides  of  a  court,  with  a  pavilion  at  each 
corner,  and  surrounded  by  moats  with  stone  balustrades. 
The  site  of  that  chateau  and  of  its  moats  is  now  covered  by 
the  great  central  projection  of  Louis's  palace.  During  the 
next  ten  years  the  king's  liking  for  the  place  increased  stead- 
*  The  chateau  built  by  Lemercier  for  Louis  XIII,  from  1624  to  1626. 

3 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

ily,  but  though  he  came  very  frequently  to  Versailles  to  hunt, 
he  did  little  in  the  way  of  building  or  embellishment  until 
1662.  From  1662  to  1669  he  adorned  the  park  and  gave 
magnificent  fetes  there.  In  1669  he  decided  to  enlarge  the 
chateau,  but  he  was  not  to  carry  out  his  purpose  without  en- 
countering opposition.  Colbert  was  then  superintendent  of 
buildings  as  well  as  of  finance,  and  Colbert's  hobby  was  the 
Louvre.  He  set  himself  resolutely  against  the  king's  project, 
and  did  not  hesitate  to  speak  his  mind.  "  Your  Majesty 
knows,"  he  wrote  to  the  king,  "  that  apart  from  brilliant  ac- 
tions in  war  nothing  marks  better  the  grandeur  and  genius 
of  princes  than  their  buildings,  and  that  posterity  measures 
them  by  the  standard  of  the  superb  edifices  which  they  erect 
during  their  lives.  Oh,  what  a  pity  that  the  greatest  king, 
and  the  most  virtuous,  should  be  measured  by  the  standard 
of  Versailles !  And  there  is  always  this  misfortune  to  fear."  ^ 
But  the  king  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  remonstrances  of  his 
minister.  He  had  no  intention  of  fixing  himself  in  Paris. 
He  had  dreamed  a  dream,  and  meant  to  realize  it  at  Ver- 
sailles. Therefore  he  cut  the  matter  short  by  a  curt  com- 
mand, and  Colbert  was  compelled  to  find  the  money. 

Levau,  first  architect  of  the  king,  had  been  previously  the 
architect  of  Fouquet,  for  whom  he  built  the  fine  Chateau  of 
Vaux,  where  Fouquet  had  spread  himself  in  the  sunshine  and 
had  given  the  king  a  fete  which  cost  him  dear.^  To  Levau 
the  first  works  were  intrusted,  and  he  performed  his  task  with 
a  success  worthy  of  his  talent.  As  his  orders  commanded 
him  to  preserve  the  chateau  of  Louis  XHI  intact,  he  solved 
the  difficulty  by  filling  up  the  moats,  and  surrounding  the 
chateau  on  three  sides  with  new  and  splendid  buildings :  on 
the  north,  the  state  apartments  of  the  king ;  on  the  west,  two 
royal  pavilions,  each  containing  three  salons,  and  joined  to 

^  Lettres,     Instructions     et     Me-       '  The  famous  fete  at  Vaux  took 
moires  de  Colbert,  V,  p.  266.  place  on  August  17,  1661. 


The  Construction  of  the  Chateau 


each  other  by  a  grand  terrace,  paved  with  red-and-white 
marble ;  on  the  south,  the  state  apartments  of  the  queen.  On 
the  north  and  south  two  large  courtyards,  ornamented  with 
fountains,  separated  these  new  buildings  from  the  old  chateau, 
whose  western  faqade,  though  joined  to  the  terrace  and  modi- 
fied by  it,  was  not  destroyed.  The  architect,  also,  enlarged 
the  old  chateau  on  the  east  by  uniting  it  to  the  two  buildings 
on  either  side  of  the  royal  court,  which  dated  from  the  time 
of  Louis  XIII,  and  in  which  that  king  had  kept  his  horses  and 
lodged  his  servants.  Levau's  work  was  well  done,  and  he 
would  doubtless  have  built  the  greater  Versailles,  that  was  to 
come,  had  he  not  died  in  1670.  He  was  succeeded  by  Man- 
sart,  who  had  made  a  success  of  his  first  work  at  Versailles, 
the  Chateau  of  Clagny,  built  by  the  king's  order  for  Madame 
de  Montespan.  Louis  now  made  use  of  him  to  realize  his 
dream,  and  for  the  next  twelve  years  pushed  on  the  works 
with  might  and  main. 

In  the  buildings  of  Levau  an  army  of  painters,  sculptors, 
marble-cutters,  and  artists  in  bronze  and  copper  were  already 
engaged  in  decorating  the  state  apartments,  when  the  king 
conferred  the  office  of  first  architect  upon  Mansart,  with  an 
order  to  build  lodgings  for  the  princes  of  the  House  of  Bour- 
bon. Mansart,  therefore,  erected  the  great  south  wing,  be- 
tween the  Orangery  and  the  Rue  de  la  Surintendance  (1679- 
1681),  and  joined  it  to  the  palace.  In  the  same  year,  also,  he 
began  the  grand  gallery  (1679-84),  called  now  the  Galerie 
des  Glaces,  which  was  raised  on  the  terrace  of  Levau,  be- 
tween the  two  pavilions,  completing  the  western  fagade  of 
the  central  portion  of  the  chateau.  The  great  stables  and  the 
little  stables  (1679-82),  on  the  Place  d'Armes,  called  then 
the  Place  Royale,  were  commenced  likewise,  and  in  addition 
the  Hotel  de  la  Surintendance,  the  Hotel  de  la  Chancellerie, 
the  Trianon,  and  the  Grand  Commun  were  rising.  There 
was,  in  fact,  a  furor  of  building  at  Versailles,  for  Louis  was 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

in  haste  to  inhabit  his  palace.  Colbert,  who  had  resigned 
himself  to  the  -inevitable,  brought  to  the  direction  of  all  these 
new  constructions  the  same  zeal  and  energy  that  he  displayed 
in  the  other  branches  of  his  administration.  Each  week  he 
sent  a  note  to  the  king,  giving  the  progress  made,  and  each 
week  Louis  visited  the  works  that  he  might  see  with  his  own 
eyes  how  things  were  going,  and  caught  a  fever  from  the  up- 
turned earth  for  his  pains. ^  "The  king,"  wrote  Madame  de 
Sevigne,  on  the  12th  of  October,  1678,  "  wishes  to  go  on  Sat- 
urday to  Versailles,  but  it  seems  that  God  does  not  wish  it,  by 
the  impossibility  of  putting  the  buildings  in  a  state  to  receive 
him,  and  by  the  great  mortality  among  the  workmen."  Evi- 
dently there  were  others  besides  Louis  who  caught  the  fever, 
and  who  were  less  tenderly  cared  for.  At  last,  despite  im- 
possibility and  mortality,  the  king  came  on  the  6th  of  May, 
1682,  with  all  his  court,  but  36,000  men  and  6000  horses  ^ 
were  still  at  work  on  his  palace  and  park  of  Versailles.^ 

^  Leroi,   Journal    de   la    sante    du  tion  of  the  chief  buildings   of  the 

Roi     (Dussieux,     Le     Chateau     de  palace  of  Versailles  and  its  depen- 

Versailles,  I,  p.  98).  dencies  are  as  follows:  the  chateau 

^Dangeau     (August    27,     1684):  of  Louis  XIII    (1624-26),  the  Me- 

"  Durant  cette  derniere  semaine  on  nagerie   (1663-65),  the  state  apart- 

depensa     pour     Versailles     250,000  ments  (1669-76),  the  Surintendance 

livres;    il    y    avoit    tous    les    jours  (1670),    the    first    Trianon    (1670), 

22,000  hommes  et  6000  chevaux  qui  the   Chancellerie    (1673),   the   Cha- 

travailloient."     Dangeau    (May   31,  teau     of     Clagny     (1676-83),     the 

1685):  "Par  le  calcul  que  Ton  fait  south    wing    (1679-81),    the    grand 

de    tous    les    gens    qui    travaillent  gallery       (1679-84),      the      stables 

presentement   ici   ou   aux   environs  (1679-82),     the     Grand     Commun 

pour   Versailles,   on   trouve   qu'il   y  (1682-85),  the  Orangery  (1684-87), 

en  avoit  plus  de  36,000  travaillant  the     north     wing     (1684-88),     the 

actuellement."  chapel  (1699-1710). 

*  The  list  and  the  dates  of  erec- 


II 

THE  COURTYARDS 

THE  palace  presents  a  more  imposing  appearance 
when  approached  from  the  Avenue  de  Paris  than 
when  viewed  directly  from  the  Place  d'Armes. 
The  beautiful  blue-and-gold  railing  of  the  court- 
yard, the  work  of  Delobel  and  Luchet,  bears  the  emblem  of 
the  Sun  King,  and  was  erected  in  1680.  At  either  end  huge 
stone  sentry-boxes  support  sculptured  groups,  representing 
Louis's  victories  over  Austria  and  Spain,  and  above  the  main 
gate  are  the  gilded  arms  of  France,  surmounted  by  a  crown 
and  flanked  by  the  traditional  horns  of  plenty.  Through  this 
gate  no  carriages  passed  save  those  of  the  king  and  of  the 
princes  of  the  blood.  The  nobility  entered  to  the  right,  or  to 
the  left,  by  the  gates  which  are  now  kept  closed.  Beyond 
rise  the  buildings  of  the  palace,  and  before  them,  high  up  on 
his  horse  of  bronze,  sits  the  great  king,  pointing  ever  toward 
the  town,  which  was  built  at  his  bidding.  Where  the  pedestal 
of  his  statue  ^  stands  there  was,  in  his  day,  the  main  gate  of  a 
second  railing,^  blue  and  gold  like  the  first,  which  separated 
the  court  of  the  ministers,  or  court  of  honor,  from  the  royal 
court;  and  since  only  the  carriages  of  persons  having  the 
*'  honors  of  the  Louvre  "  were  permitted  to  drive  into  the 
royal  court,  people  who  did  not  enjoy  that  privilege  were 
forced  to  alight  in  the  court  of  the  ministers.     There  they 

^  The  equestrian   statue  of  Louis       '  This    railing   was    destroyed    on 
XIV,  erected  by  Louis  Philippe  in    the  6th  of  October,  1789. 
1835. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

could  hire  sedan-chairs  to  take  them  to  the  vestibules  of  the 
chateau,  if  they  did  not  wish  to  walk.  These  chairs,  called 
blue  chairs,  were  carried  by  porters  in  blue  liveries,  who 
charged  six  sous  for  the  service,  and  were  owned  and  con- 
trolled by  a  company  that  had  purchased  the  right.^ 

On  the  north  and  south  sides  of  this  first  court  stand  the 
low  red  buildings  in  which  the  ministers  and  secretaries  of 
state  had  their  offices,  a  fact  which  gave  the  court  its  name, 
the  court  of  the  ministers.  How  many  people  of  all  ranks 
and  conditions  have  gone  up  and  down  the  stone  steps  of 
those  buildings,  hoping  and  fearing,  to  curry  favor  with  the 
powerful  custodians  of  the  king's  authority,  who,  according 
to  Saint-Simon,  were  "  accustomed  to  have  almost  everything 
their  own  way,  to  rule  over  everybody  and  browbeat  every- 
body at  will,  fixing  all  punishments,  all  recompenses,  and  al- 
ways sheltering  themselves  behind  the  royal  authority,  *  The 
king  wills  it  so  '  being  the  phrase  ever  on  their  lips."  ^  From 
those  buildings,  also,  these  lords  of  the  portfolio  set  out  in 
their  coaches  or  their  sedan-chairs  on  Sundays,  Wednesdays, 
and  Saturdays  to  attend  the  Council  of  State  in  the  palace. 
The  stone  balustrades  in  front  of  the  wings  of  the  ministers 
were  there  in  the  days  of  Louis  XIV,  but  the  statues  which 
adorn  them  are  of  a  much  later  period.^ 

On  turning  toward  the  palace  three  objects  strike  the  eye 
most  prominently :  to  the  right,  the  chapel,  with  its  lofty 
roof,  its  statues,  and  its  rich  ornamentation ;  and  in  the  fore- 
ground the  Grecian  fronts  of  the  two  pavilions  at  either  side 
of  the  royal  court.  These  pavilions  differ  from  those  erected 
under  Louis  XIV,  for  the  buildings  of  Levau  and  Mansart 
were  much  changed  on  the  side  of  the  courtyards  in  the  reign 
of  Louis  XV.     The  architect  Gabriel,  who  was  one  of  the 

^  Dussieux,  I,  p.  97.  '  The  statues  were  brought  from 

^  Saint-Simon,  Memoirs  of  the        the  Pont  de  la  Concorde  in  1837. 
Court  of  Louis  XIV,  II,  p.  198. 


The  Courtyards 


promoters  of  the  restoration  of  the  Greco-Roman  art,  de- 
stroyed the  wing  between  the  chapel  and  the  royal  court,  which 
dated  from  Louis  XIII,  and  raised  the  pavilion  with  the 
Grecian  faqade  which  we  see  to-day.  The  wing  on  the  south 
side  of  the  royal  court,  once  the  stables  of  Louis  XIII,  escaped 
destruction  at  that  time,  but  was  modified  in  1820  by  the 
erection  at  its  extremity  of  a  Grecian  pavilion,  corresponding 
to  that  of  Gabriel  on  the  north.  Beyond  this  southern  pa- 
vilion is  the  court  of  the  princes,  from  which  the  handsome 
staircase  of  the  princes  leads  to  the  apartments  of  the  great 
south  wing  of  the  palace,  where  the  princes  of  the  blood  were 
lodged.  Finally  there  is  the  marble  court  in  the  center  of 
the  chateau;  but  before  describing  it,  let  us  consider  for  a 
moment  a  subject  which  belongs  properly  to  the  larger  court- 
yards, the  royal  court  and  the  court  of  the  ministers — namely, 
the  king's  body-guards  and  military  household. 

The  king's  person  was  protected  by  four  companies  of  the 
body-guards,  by  twenty-five  guards  of  the  halberd,  by  the 
Cent-Suisses,  by  fifty  guards  of  the  gate,  by  the  company  of 
provost-guards,  and  by  the  hundred  gentlemen  of  the  battle- 
ax.  Although  at  the  first  glance  the  number  seems  excessive, 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  they  served  in  detachments  by 
the  quarter,  and  that  Versailles  is  very  large.  There  was 
also  the  military  household,  which  was  composed  of  cavalry 
and  infantry.  The  cavalry  consisted  of  four  splendid  com- 
panies of  the  body-guards,  called  the  blue  companies  from  the 
color  of  their  uniforms,  and  also  four  companies  of  gen- 
darmes and  light  horse,  called  the  red  companies ;  then  came 
the  gray  musketeers  and  the  black  musketeers  and  the 
mounted  grenadiers.^  The  infantry  was  made  up  of  two 
regiments  of  French  guards  and  Swiss  guards.  The  king  gave 

*  All  these  troops  were  uniformed  musketeers  took  their  names  from 
in  blue,  white,  or  red,  the  colors  of  the  color  of  their  horses,  and  not 
the  Bourbons.     Both  companies  of    from  their  uniforms. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

much  time  and  thought  to  the  organization  of  his  mihtary 
household  and  was  rigorous  in  matters  of  discipline.  He  re- 
viewed his  guards  frequently  at  Versailles  or  Marly,  and, 
with  his  well-known  love  of  detail,  inspected  them  man  by 
man,  and  Dangeau  tells  us  that  in  such  inspections  His 
Majesty  was  more  severe  than  a  commissary.  In  this  work 
Louis  was  well  seconded  by  Brissac,  major  of  the  body- 
guards. "  The  king  made  use  of  him,"  says  Saint-Simon, 
"  to  put  the  guards  upon  that  grand  military  footing  they 
have  reached."  ^  On  a  grand  military  footing  they  certainly 
were,  and  the  blue  cavalry  companies  of  the  Maison  Militaire 
were  especially  superb.  But  it  was  not  only  on  days  of  re- 
view that  the  courtyards  of  Versailles  were  filled  with  the 
military  household;  the  troops  were  there  continually. 
"  Four  companies  of  the  French  guards  and  two  of  the  Swiss 
guards  parade  every  day  in  the  court  of  the  ministers  between 
the  two  railings,  and  when  the  king  issues  in  his  carriage  to 
go  to  Paris  or  to  Fontainebleau  the  spectacle  is  magnificent. 
Four  trumpeters  in  front  and  four  behind,  the  Swiss  guards 
on  one  side  and  the  French  guards  on  the  other,  form  a  line 
as  far  as  it  can  reach.  The  Cent-Suisses  march  ahead  of  the 
horsemen  in  the  costume  of  the  sixteenth  century,  wearing 
the  halberd,  ruflf,  plumed  hat,  and  the  ample  party-colored 
striped  doublet;  alongside  of  these  are  the  provost-guards 
with  scarlet  facings  and  gold  frogs,  and  companies  of  yeo- 
manry, bristling  with  gold  and  silver.  The  officers  of  the 
various  corps,  the  trumpeters  and  the  musicians,  covered  with 
gold  and  silver  lace,  are  dazzling  to  look  at;  the  kettledrum 
suspended  at  the  saddle-bow,  overcharged  with  painted  and 
gilded  ornaments,  is  a  curiosity  for  a  glass  case;  the  negro 
cymbal-player  of  the  French  guards  resembles  the  sultan  of  a 
fairy-tale.  Behind  the  carriage  and  alongside  of  it  trot  the 
body-guards,  with  sword  and  carbine,  wearing  red  breeches, 
^  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  13. 
10 


^^^ 


—       '    !    I 


The  Courtyards 


high  black  boots,  and  blue  coats  laced  with  silver ;  all  of  them 
unquestionable  gentlemen."  ^  The  courtyards,  however,  were 
rendered  brilliant  not  only  by  military  pomp  but  by  fetes  as 
well,  and  in  this  connection  we  are  brought  to  the  marble 
court. 

Here  in  the  center  of  the  chateau,  where  the  windows  of  the 
Sun  King's  chamber  face  the  rising  sun,  is  that  small  court- 
yard, surrounded  on  three  sides  by  the  brick  walls  of  Louis 
XIII's  palace,  which  time  has  turned  to  a  soft  yellow,  and 
which  the  Grand  Monarch  preserved  carefully  in  the  midst 
of  his  magnificence.  There  are  marble  busts  on  stone  brack- 
ets between  all  the  windows,  and  a  wealth  of  ornamentation, 
sculptures  and  balustrades,  about  the  roofs;  but  the  chief 
interest  and  significance  of  this  courtyard  lies  in  the  fact  that 
behind  its  walls  Louis  lived  and  worked.  The  marble  court 
is  the  center  of  Versailles ;  it  was  once  the  center  of  France, 
and  the  Grand  Monarch  sought  to  make  it,  and  nearly  suc- 
ceeded in  making  it,  the  center  of  Europe.  The  western 
facade  differs  somewhat  from  the  other  two,  for  Louis  was 
obliged  to  rebuild  it  in  1672,  owing  to  the  defective  state  of 
the  wall.  The  windows  of  his  bedchamber  open  on  a  large 
blue-and-gold  balcony,  the  work  of  Delobel,  which  is  held  up 
by  eight  marble  columns,  and  above  the  windows  of  the  upper 
story  rests  a  sculptured  pediment,  the  great  clock  of  the  palace, 
supported  by  statues  of  Hercules  and  Mars.  In  1673  the 
court  contained  a  basin  decorated  with  a  group  in  gilded 
bronze  which  represented  two  Cupids  embracing  a  Triton 
that  held  a  horn  from  which  a  jet  of  water  rose;  but  in  1684 
Louis,  w^io  was  changing  his  constructions  continually,  de- 
stroyed the  fountain  and  paved  the  court  with  black-and-white 
marble  as  one  sees  it  now.  This  pavement  is  several  inches 
higher  than  the  stone  pavement  of  the  royal  court,  but  no 
horses  or  carriages  entered  here.     The  king  took  his  car- 

^  Taine,  The  Ancient  Regime,  p.  92. 
II 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

riage  in  the  royal  court.  The  marble  court  was  used  more 
than  once  as  an  open-air  theater,  and  a  print  by  Lepautre 
exists,  representing  a  performance  of  Moliere's  "  Alceste " 
as  given  here  before  the  king  and  the  courtiers.  On  that  oc- 
casion no  scenery  was  used;  the  balconies  and  roofs  of  the 
chateau  were  brilliantly  illuminated,  and  on  either  side  of  the 
court  they  placed  a  row  of  orange-trees  in  silver  tubs,  but 
nothing  further  seems  to  have  been  done  to  deck  a  stage  al- 
ready highly  adorned. 

The  final  touch  of  brilliancy  was  given  to  the  courtyards  by 
the  nobility  as  they  came  and  went.  "  The  king,"  says  Saint- 
Simon,  "  liked  splendor,  magnificence,  and  profusion  in  every- 
thing :  you  pleased  him  if  you  shone  through  the  brilliancy  of 
your  houses,  your  clothes,  your  table,  your  equipages."  ^  Such 
being  the  case,  there  were  many  who  pleased,  and  the  court- 
yards of  Versailles  were  filled  with  glittering  liveries,  with 
splendid  horses,  with  gilded  carriages — in  short,  with  a 
blaze  of  color  and  pomp  that  changed  continually  and  whirled 
to  and  from  Paris  and  St.  Cloud. 

'  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  369. 


12 


Ill 

THE  AMBASSADORS'  STAIRCASE 

BEGUN  in  1671  and  finished  in  1680,  this  staircase 
was  sometimes  called  the  grand  staircase,  but  more 
frequently  the  ambassadors'  staircase  because  it 
was  specially  intended  for  the  ambassadors  of 
foreign  courts  when  they  came  in  state  to  receive  their  audi- 
ences from  the  king.  The  three  arches  to  the  right  of  the 
royal  court  led  to  the  vestibule;  they  contain  now  very  sim- 
ple doors  of  wood  and  glass,  but  in  Louis's  day  they  held 
splendid  gates  of  gilded  iron,  forged  by  Delobel.^  The  vesti- 
bule was  paved  with  the  finest  marbles,  and  the  vaulting  en- 
riched with  trophies  in  gilded  bronze.  The  ambassador  who 
entered  passed  under  one  of  three  other  arches  and  found 
himself  in  a  gorgeous  hall  that  rose  to  the  roof  of  the  palace. 
There  before  him,  gleaming  with  colored  marbles,  mounting 
majestically  to  right  and  to  left,  was  the  chef-d'oeuvre  of  Dor- 
bay  and  of  Levau,  the  staircase  of  the  Grand  Monarch. 
Twelve  marble  steps  in  the  center  led  to  the  first  landing, 
where  in  a  niche  there  was  a  fountain,  ornamented  with  a 
group  in  gilded  bronze.  Above  the  fountain,  in  a  second 
niche,  was  a  bust  of  Louis  in  white  marble,  placed  in  the  midst 
of  trophies,  and  at  either  side  of  it,  between  marble  columns, 
people  of  different  nations,  silent,  immovable,  lifelike,  glitter- 
ing in  varied  costumes,  looked  out  over  railings  covered  with 
cloth  of  gold,  as  one  might  look  from  an  opera-box.  In  such 
^Dussieux,   Le   Chateau  de   Versailles,  I,  p.  299. 

13 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

fashion  the  fact  was  brought  home  to  an  ambassador  that  the 
eyes  of  the  world  were  on  him  when  he  went  up  to  face  the 
King  of  France.  The  two  stairs,  to  the  right  and  the  left,  of 
twenty-one  steps  each,  were  of  marble  with  marble  balus- 
trades, and  from  the  upper  landings  very  beautiful  doors, 
carved  and  gilded,  the  work  of  Caffieri,  led  to  the  state  apart- 
ments. As  for  the  rest,  there  were  four  superb  tapestries  on 
the  walls,  copies  of  Van  der  Meulen's  paintings  of  the  taking 
of  Valenciennes,  of  Cambrai,  of  St.  Omer,  and  of  the  battle 
of  Cassel ;  and  Lebrun's  ceiling,  a  gorgeous  composition  in 
which  the  Arts,  the  Sciences,  the  Muses,  and  the  Virtues 
stood  at  the  doors  of  the  king's  house  to  welcome  him.  But 
all  this  magnificence  has  disappeared.  Louis  XV,  who 
had  no  appreciation  of  art  or  grandeur,  very  foolishly  de- 
stroyed the  ambassadors'  staircase,  in  1752,  to  enlarge  his 
private  apartments  and  those  of  his  daughters.  Gerome,  in 
his  painting,  "  The  Reception  of  the  Great  Conde  by  Louis 
XIV,"  has  reproduced  the  grand  staircase  and  filled  it  with 
the  court,  and  that  canvas  brings  vividly  before  one  the  van- 
ished splendor  of  Versailles. 

The  staircase  served  not  only  for  ambassadors  on  days  of 
ceremony,  but  concerts  were  frequently  given  there,  and  at 
times  certain  religious  services  were  held  there.  Dangeau 
tells  us  that  on  the  22d  of  June,  1684,  there  was  a  concert  on 
the  staircase,  and  the  Mercure  adds :  "  When  it  is  full  of  light 
the  grand  staircase  of  the  king  vies  in  magnificence  with  the 
richest  apartments  of  the  most  beautiful  palace  in  the  world."  ^ 
Again,  under  date  of  April  12,  1699,  we  find  the  following: 
"  The  king  came  down  below  at  chapel,  at  twelve  o'clock,  and 
as  the  weather  was  bad  he  did  not  go  to  the  station  to  which 
he  had  gone  the  year  before  in  crossing  the  court.  They  had 
placed  the  cross  on  the  landing  of  the  grand  staircase.     The 

*  Dussieux,  I,  p.  301. 
14 


The  Ambassadors'  Staircase 


king,  Monseigneur,  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne,  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  Mgr.  le  Due  d'Anjou,  Mgr.  le  Due 
de  Berry,  went  to  adore  the  eross.  The  grand  staircase  was 
full  of  courtiers  on  both  sides.  The  spectacle  was  very  beau- 
tiful." 1 

^  Dangeau,  April,  1699. 


15 


IV 

THE  STATE  APARTMENTS  OF  THE  KING 

AT  the  present  time  the  state  apartments  begin  with 
/\      the  salon  of  Hercules,  but  in  Louis  XIV's  day  that 

/  %  salon  did  not  exist,  and  its  site  was  occupied  by  the 
^  ^  chapel  of  the  chateau.  The  small  salon  of  Abun- 
dance, which  opens  out  of  the  salon  of  Hercules,  was  once  the 
vestibule  of  that  chapel,  and  therefore  these  two  salons  may 
be  omitted  from  the  description  of  the  state  apartments, 
which  began  originally  with  the  salon  of  Venus,  and  were 
composed  of  the  following  rooms :  the  salons  of  Venus,  of 
Diana,  of  Mars,  of  Mercury,  of  Apollo,  of  War,  the  grand 
gallery,  the  salon  of  Peace.^  The  first  six  form  the  north 
side  of  the  central  projection  of  the  palace,  and  their  lofty 
windows  look  out  on  the  parterre  du  Nord ;  but  as  the  salon 
of  War,  which  opens  into  the  grand  gallery,  belongs  properly 
to  the  chapter  devoted  to  that  subject,  let  us  consider  now 
only  the  first  five,  named  after  the  gods  and  goddesses  of  the 
old  world,  who  figure  here  as  satellites  of  the  god  of  Ver- 
sailles, Louis  the  Sun  King. 

If  Louis  could  revisit  Versailles  to-day,  and  beginning  his 
tour  of  inspection  in  the  salon  of  Hercules,  turn  in  on  the 
right,  where  a  small  sign,  by  no  means  artistic,  announces  the 
entrance  to  Les  Grands  Appartements  de  Louis  XIV,  he 
would  undoubtedly  be  surprised  and  shocked,  and  look  vainly 
for  his  vanished  magnificence.     So  much  has  been  changed 

^  Dussieux,  I,  p.  142. 
16 


The  State  Apartments  of  the  King 


and  cheapened,  and  yet  in  view  of  the  way  in  which  the  Revo- 
lution ransacked  the  palace  it  is  surprising  that  so  much  re- 
mains. But  it  was  precisely  that  vanished  magnificence 
which  made  the  court  what  it  was,  and  some  notion  of  it  is 
essential  in  any  attempt  to  portray  the  court. 

THE   SALON   OF  VENUS 

The  salon  of  Venus  opened  originally  upon  the  ambassadors' 
staircase,  and  was  therefore  the  first  room  of  the  state  apart- 
ments. It  is  paneled  throughout  with  marble,  arranged  in 
mosaic  form,  and  so  perfectly  fitted  that  the  joints  have  not 
changed  after  two  centuries.^  On  the  ceiling  Houasse  has 
painted  in  charming  color  Venus  crowned  by  the  Graces,  and 
this  central  composition  is  surrounded  by  four  other  pictures, 
in  which  Augustus,  Nebuchadnezzar,  Alexander,  and  Cyrus 
figure.  Augustus  is  presiding  over  the  games  of  the  circus, 
Nebuchadnezzar  is  raising  the  gardens  of  Babylon,  Cyrus  is 
reviewing  his  army,  etc. ;  but  the  courtiers  understood  per- 
fectly that  these  were  but  symbols  of  their  Sun  King,  who  had 
held  his  tournament  in  the  Carrousel,  who  had  constructed 
his  gardens  of  Versailles,  who  had  ridden  rough-shod  through 
Flanders,  and  on  whatever  gorgeous  ceiling  of  this  palace 
they  saw  Augustus,  Alexander,  Caesar,  or  Cyrus,  they  read 
Louis.  There  in  a  niche  Louis  stands  in  white  marble,  clad 
as  a  Roman  emperor,  and  that  statue,  which  is  the  work  of 
Varin,  occupied  the  same  position  in  Louis's  day.  The  salon 
was  lighted  by  two  large  chandeliers  of  silver  and  cut  glass 
and  by  eight  tall  branched  candlesticks  of  crystal  which 
stood  on  gilded  pedestals,  while  the  furniture  and  curtains 
were  of  green  velvet  bordered  with  gold.  All  that  has  dis- 
appeared. On  the  evenings  when  an  appartement  was  held, 
that  is,  a  gathering  of  all  the  court,  this  salon  was  used  for  the 
*  Dussieux,  I,  p.  146. 

17 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

collation.  Tables  were  spread  here,  covered  with  silver 
candlesticks  and  pyramids  of  .flowers,  and  loaded  with  fruits 
and  dainties  of  every  sort.  People  came  and  helped  them- 
selves as  they  pleased ;  to  use  the  expression  current  at  court, 
they  "pillaged." 


THE  SALON  OF  DIANA 

This  room,  like  the  one  preceding,  is  paneled  with  marble, 
and  ornamented  with  bas-reliefs  in  copper,  carved  and  gilded. 
On  the  ceiling  Blanchard  has  painted  Diana  and  her  Nymphs, 
and  again  we  see  Cyrus  and  Alexander,  the  one  pursuing  a 
stag,  and  the  other  a  lion.  In  the  center  of  the  wall  opposite 
the  windows  there  is  a  bust  of  Louis  by  Bernin,  on  a  pedestal 
decked  with  bas-reliefs  in  bronze.  Above  the  fireplace,  where 
the  portrait  of  Marie  Therese  now  hangs,  there  was  once  a 
painting  of  Iphigenia  and  Diana,  while  on  the  other  wall, 
where  is  seen  now  the  portrait  of  Louis  XIV  by  Rigaud,  a 
copy  of  the  original  in  the  Louvre,  hung  a  picture  represent- 
ing Diana  and  Endymion.  Under  the  portrait  of  the  king, 
stands  one  of  the  rare  pieces  of  furniture  of  the  time  of  Louis 
XIV  which  remain  at  Versailles,  a  beautiful  table  of  carved 
wood,  gilded,  with  a  marble  top,  a  product  of  the  Gobelins. 
This  salon  of  Diana  was  the  billiard-room,  and  its  furniture 
and  curtains  were  formerly  of  crimson  velvet  bordered  with 
gold.  It  was  lighted  by  four  large  chandeliers  of  silver  and 
glass,  while  four  smaller  chandeliers  on  gilded  pedestals  were 
placed  at  the  corners  of  the  billiard-table.  Beyond  that  table 
two  rows  of  raised  seats,  covered  with  Persian  tapestry,  and 
brilliantly  lighted  by  silver  candlesticks  of  many  branches 
placed  at  the  sides,  allowed  the  court  ladies  to  watch  the  play- 
ers with  ease,  and  to  display  themselves  to  great  advantage 
at  the  same  time.  Here  were  seen,  too,  the  orange-trees  of 
which  the  king  was  so  fond.     There  were  four  of  them,  each 

i8 


The  State  Apartments  of  the  King 


in  a  beautifully  carved  tub  of  silver.  Such  was  Diana's  salon 
in  its  prime. 

THE  SALON   OF  MARS 

The  salon  of  Mars  was  the  ball-room  and  concert-hall,  and 
originally  had  marble  tribunes  for  the  musicians  on  either 
side  of  the  chimney.  On  the  ceiling  the  god  of  battles  rides 
in  his  triumphal  car,  Caesar  reviews  his  soldiers,  Cyrus  and 
Marcus  Aurelius  advance,  Constantine  marches  to  war. 
These  paintings  are  the  work  of  Audran,  Houasse,  and  Jouve- 
net.  In  this  salon  green  was  the  prevailing  color,  the  furni- 
ture and  curtains  being  of  green  velvet  bordered  with  gold, 
and  silver  was  lavishly  used.  Between  the  windows  stood 
tables  of  silver,  beautifully  carved,  holding  splendid  silver 
baskets  full  of  flowers,  silver  candlesticks,  and  silver  punch- 
bowls highly  wrought.  There  were  three  large  mirrors 
above  the  tables,  set  in  carved  silver  frames,  and  from  the 
brilliant  ceiling  hung  two  huge  chandeliers  of  silver  and  cut 
glass.  There  were  also  a  number  of  small  card-tables,  cov- 
ered with  green  velvet  fringed  with  gold,  and  in  the  center  a 
larger  table  which  held  a  trou-madame  of  inlaid  work,  Trou- 
madame,  for  a  time  a  popular  game  at  court,  was  played  by 
rolling  little  ivory  balls  through  arcades  into  holes  marked 
with  certain  numbers.^  Thus  with  its  wealth  of  color  and 
light  the  salon  of  Mars  must  have  presented  a  striking  picture 
when  the  card-tables  were  crowded  with  courtiers,  or  when, 
after  the  tables  had  vanished,  the  music  sounded  from  the 
marble  tribunes  for  the  dance. 

THE  SALON  OF  MERCURY 

The  salon  of  Mercury  has  preserved  its  original  decoration, 
which  is  all  of  marble ;  the  fireplace  alone  has  been  destroyed. 

*  An  account  of  the  various  games  of  cards  played  at  court  will  be  given 
later,  when  the  subject  of  gambling  is  considered. 

19 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Champagne's  ceiHng  represents  Mercury  in  a  chariot  drawn 
by  two  cocks,  and  in  the  smaller  paintings  Augustus  and 
Alexander  are  seen  again.  This  was  the  state  bedchamber, 
and  Louis  slept  here  in  the  early  days  of  his  residence  at 
Versailles,  probably  from  1676  to  1685,  after  which  time  it 
remained  a  chamber  of  parade.  When  the  Due  d'Anjou  was 
proclaimed  King  of  Spain  in  1700,  Louis  installed  his  grand- 
son in  this  bedchamber  that  people  might  come  to  pay  their 
court  to  him  as  King  Philippe  V  before  he  set  out  for  Spain. 
The  furniture  and  hangings  were  of  crimson  velvet  fringed 
with  gold,  and  the  bed,  which  stood  on  an  estrade  facing  the 
windows,  was  surmounted  by  a  canopy  of  cloth  of  gold, 
adorned  with  red  and  white  plumes.  Before  the  bed  was  a 
balustrade  of  silver,^  which  held  at  intervals  eight  tall 
branched  candlesticks  of  the  same  metal.  There  were  silver 
tables  between  the  windows,  mirrors  framed  in  silver,  beauti- 
ful inlaid  cabinets  with  statuettes  in  silver  and  bronze,  a 
splendid  chandelier  of  silver  and  glass  of  six  branches  hold- 
ing eighteen  candles,  and  flowers  everywhere.  Here,  too, 
were  the  card-tables  of  the  king  and  queen,  but  at  an  apparte- 
ment  they  frequently  went  to  play  in  the  salon  of  Mars. 

THE  SALON   OF  APOLLO 

The  salon  of  Apollo  was  the  throne-room,  and  here  the  am- 
bassador who  had  ascended  the  grand  staircase  and  passed 
through  the  glittering  halls  of  Venus,  of  Diana,  of  Mars,  and 
of  Mercury,  found  himself  in  the  presence  of  the  King  of 
France,  and  if  he  was  not  sufficiently  impressed  by  all  that 
he  had  seen  from  the  time  he  left  his  carriage,  Louis's  glance 
and  bearing  would  make  up  the  deficiency.  The  colors  here 
were  crimson  and  gold.     An  estrade  faced  the  windows,  cov- 

'The  balustrade  of  silver  was  the  work  of  Loir  and  Villiers.    It  cost  142,- 
196  livres  (Comptes  des  Batiments  de  1680).    Dussieux,  I,  p.  152. 

20 


Charles  Lebrun 


The  State  Apartments  of  the  King 


ered  with  a  rich  Persian  carpet  on  which  stood  the  silver 
throne,  eight  feet  high,  of  beautiful  workmanship,  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  splendid  canopy.  The  three  gilded  rings 
which  held  the  canopy  may  still  be  seen  in  the  ceiling;  they 
have  outlived  the  throne.  On  the  ceiling,  in  an  admirable 
composition  by  Delafosse,  Apollo  appears,  surrounded  by  the 
Seasons  and  the  Months,  while  in  the  smaller  paintings  are 
the  ever-present  Alexander  and  Augustus.  On  the  walls 
were  pictures  by  Rubens,  by  Titian,  by  Guido,  and  by  Van 
Dyck,  six  of  which  are  now  at  the  Louvre.^  Here,  as  else- 
where, there  were  costly  tables  and  mirrors,  chandeliers 
of  silver,  the  most  perfect  that  French  art  could  produce, 
orange-trees  in  silver  tubs,  and  flowers  everywhere. 

Such  were  the  first  five  of  the  king's  state  apartments,  which 
open  one  into  another  in  the  order  given.  At  one  time  they 
were  all  paved  with  marble,  but  when  the  floors  were  washed 
it  was  found  impossible  to  prevent  water  from  passing 
through  the  cracks  and  injuring  the  ceilings  of  the  rooms  be- 
low, and  Louis,  therefore,  substituted  floors  of  polished  wood. 
These  five  salons,  beautiful  as  they  were,  were  surpassed  by 
the  three  which  followed,  for  Mansart  and  Lebrun  had  re- 
served the  final  splendors  for  the  grand  gallery  and  the  salons 
of  War  and  of  Peace. 

^Dussieux,  I,  p.  153. 


21 


THE  GRAND  GALLERY  AND  ITS  SALONS 

THE  salon  of  War,  the  grand  gallery,  called  fre- 
quently the  Galerie  des  Glaces,  and  the  salon  of 
Peace  occupy  the  entire  faqade  of  the  central  por- 
tion of  the  chateau  on  the  garden  side,  and  form  a 
setting  of  unrivaled  splendor  for  ceremonies  and  fetes.  "  He 
had  the  air  of  a  great  king,"  said  Montesquieu  of  Louis  XIV, 
and  these  apartments  are  the  solid,  visible  presentment  of 
that  majesty.  Mars,  Mercury,  and  Apollo  have  had  their 
day;  here  there  is  no  god  but  Louis,  dominant  and  trium- 
phant. 

THE  SALON  OF  WAR 

The  ceiling  of  the  salon  of  War,  painted  by  Lebrun  at  the 
time  of  Louis's  brilliant  successes,  represents  France  aloft  on 
the  clouds  and  surrounded  by  Victories  bearing  laurel 
wreaths ;  in  the  curves  of  the  arch  are  seen  Germany,  Holland, 
and  Spain,  vanquished  by  the  men  of  valor  who  fought  for 
the  Sun  King.  There  on  the  chimney,  in  a  large  bas-relief  of 
white  stucco,  rides  Louis  himself,  clad  as  a  Roman,  with  his 
enemies  under  the  heels  of  his  horse,  and  attended  by  Victory, 
Valor,  and  Renown.  This  is  the  work  of  Coyzevox.  The 
walls  of  the  salon  are  entirely  of  marble,  richly  adorned  with 
trophies  in  gilded  copper.  In  Louis's  day  there  were  in  the 
four  corners  of  the  room  beautiful  tables  of  blue  and  gold, 
holding  massive  vases  of  silver,  and  between  the  windows 

22 


The  Grand  Gallery  and  Its  Salons 


silver  candlesticks  of  many  branches.  A  huge  chandelier  of 
silver  and  glass  hung  in  the  center  of  the  apartment,  while 
at  the  sides  of  the  room  stood  then,  as  now,  six  busts  of 
the  Roman  emperors,  which  had  been  given  to  Louis  by 
Mazarin.  But  the  salon  of  War  serves  only  as  a  brilliant 
vestibule  to  the  grand  gallery.  A  lofty  arch  connects  the 
salon  with  that  glittering  hall  where  the  Sun  King's  splendor 
reached  its  zenith. 

THE  GRAND  GALLERY 

The  grand  gallery  is  the  epitome  of  absolutism  and  divine 
right  and  the  grandeur  of  the  House  of  Bourbon.  It  rests 
upon  the  former  terrace  of  Levau  and  extends  from  the  salon 
of  War  to  the  s^lon  of  Peace,  a  distance  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  feet.  Its  seventeen  lofty  windows  look  out  upon  the 
gardens,  and  are  reflected  in  the  seventeen  arches  filled  with 
mirrors  which  line  the  opposite  wall.  The  trophies  in  gilded 
copper,  and  the  decorations  of  the  Corinthian  pilasters  be- 
tween every  mirror  and  every  window,  are  the  work  of  Coyze- 
vox,  Tuby,  and  Caffieri.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  walls  are 
of  marble,  and  the  cornice,  carved  in  great  part  by  Coyzevox, 
is  adorned  with  the  crown  of  France  and  the  collars  of  Saint- 
Esprit  and  Saint-Michel.  The  ceiling,  which  gave  Lebrun 
four  years'  labor  (1679-82),  is  his  chief  work  at  Versailles, 
and  the  artist  sought  with  all  his  skill  and  all  the  wealth  of 
color  at  his  command  to  place  above  the  head  of  the  Louis 
who  walked  daily  through  this  gallery,  sometimes  gay  and 
sometimes  sad,  sometimes  suffering  and  sometimes  buoyant, 
the  glory  and  omnipotence  of  that  ideal  Louis,  the  Sun  King, 
whom  all  the  Arts  united  to  celebrate.  The  man  on  the  floor 
and  the  god  on  the  ceiling  were  two  very  different  persons, 
but  it  is  to  the  credit  of  the  actual  Louis  that,  whether  his 
ideal  was  true  or  false,  he  had  an  ideal  and  endeavored  to  live 

23 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

up  to  it.  On  the  ceiling  he  is  young  and  victorious  and 
crowned  with  laurel,  crossing  the  Rhine,  conquering  Holland, 
capturing  Ghent,  seizing  Franche-Comte,  governing  by  him- 
self, and,  with  all  France  applauding  him  and  all  Europe  fear- 
ing him,  making  a  noise  in  the  world.  There  are  thirty  of 
these  paintings,  eight  of  large  size  and  twenty-two  smaller 
ones,  surrounded  by  rich  borders  of  gilded  sculptures,  and 
intended  to  convey  to  posterity  the  story  of  the  Sun  King 
from  1 67 1  to  1678,  as  composed  by  Louis  and  Lebrun.  Here 
in  this  grand  gallery  Louis  attained  his  apotheosis,  but  he 
owed  it  to  Mansart,  Lebrun,  Coyzevox,  Tuby,  and  Caffieri, 
who  put  their  hearts  into  their  work.  To-day,  stripped  of 
all  its  furniture  with  the  exception  of  a  few  white  benches 
covered  with  red  cloth,  the  grand  gallery  is  still  imposing  and 
magnificent,  but  at  one  period  the  furniture  was  as  splendid 
as  the  decoration,  and  for  the  most  part  was  of  massive  carved 
silver  or  of  silver-gilt.  In  two  long  lines  on  either  side,  be- 
tween the  windows  and  the  mirrors,  were  placed  tables  of  sil- 
ver, candelabra  of  silver,  vases  of  silver  and  gold,  benches  of 
silver  covered  with  green  velvet  fringed  with  gold,  orange- 
trees  in  bloom  in  beautifully  carved  tubs  of  silver — in  short, 
a  mass  of  riches.  The  floor  was  covered  with  two  gorgeous 
carpets  of  the  Savonnerie,  and  the  windows  were  hung  with 
curtains  of  white  damask  embroidered  in  gold  with  the  royal 
arms.^  Sixteen  huge  chandeliers  of  silver,  with  decorations 
representing  the  labors  of  Hercules,^  the  Seasons  and  the 
Months,  and  twelve  large  lusters  of  crystal  and  silver  fur- 
nished the  illumination,  and  at  an  appartement  the  gallery 
was  lighted  by  four  thousand  wax  candles.  On  such  a  night, 
when  this  great  hall  was  crowded  with  the  court,  the  coup 
d'ml  must  have  been  royal. 

^  These  curtains  cost  1050  livres  *  Twelve  chandeliers,  represent- 
each.  Comptes  des  Batiments,  ing  the  labors  of  Hercules,  cost 
1684.  31.153   livres.     Dussieux,  I,  p.   161. 

24 


The  Grand  Gallery  and  Its  Salons 


But  the  day  came  when  Louis  found  Europe  in  arms 
against  him.  He  was  no  longer  young,  nor  victorious,  nor 
crowned  with  laurel,  and  to  keep  his  four  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  men  in  arms  and  his  navy  in  condition  to  combat 
Holland  and  England,  he  was  forced  to  ask  his  nobles  to  loan 
him  their  silver  and  gold,  their  tables,  their  mirrors,  their 
riches  of  every  sort.  To  set  the  example  himself,  he  sent, 
in  1690,  nearly  two  thousand  pieces  of  his  silver  furniture  to 
the  mint ;  ^  and  when  he  did  this  thing,  above  his  head,  clad 
as  a  Roman  and  crowned  with  laurel,  was  that  ideal  Sun 
King,  whom  all  the  Arts  united  to  celebrate,  and  who  was 
never  troubled  by  financial  difficulties. 

THE   SALON   OF    PEACE 

The  salon  of  Peace,  constructed  at  the  same  time  as  the  salon 
of  War  and  the  grand  gallery,  has  preserved  its  original  dec- 
oration. Its  walls  are  lined  with  marble,  ornamented  with 
trophies  in  gilded  copper  and  with  mirrors.  On  the  ceiling, 
which  is  the  work  of  Lebrun,  France  rides  in  a  chariot,  at- 
tended by  Peace  and  Abundance.  Lemoine's  painting  on  the 
chimney,  which  represents  Louis  XV  giving  peace  to  Europe, 
was  not  placed  there  until  1729;  what  the  previous  adorn- 
ment of  the  chimney  was  is  difficult  to  discover,  but  without 
question  it  was  brilliant  and  appropriate.  Here  also  on 
pedestals  of  colored  marble  are  six  busts  of  the  Caesars, 
which,  like  those  in  the  salon  of  War,  Louis  XIV  had  re- 
ceived from  Mazarin.  In  this  salon  the  silver  throne  was 
placed  in  1685,  when  Louis  gave  audience  to  the  Doge  of 
Genoa.  The  state  apartments  of  the  king  end  with  the  salon 
of  Peace,  from  which  a  door  to  the  right  of  the  chimney  leads 
to  the  state  apartments  of  the  queen. 

^The  silver  furniture  was  re-  with  marble  mosaics  and  borders 
placed  by  furniture  of  carved  and  of  carved  copper.  Dussieux,  I,  p. 
gilded    wood,    and    tables    adorned    164. 

25 


VI 
THE  STATE  APARTMENTS  OF  THE  QUEEN 

THESE  apartments  have  been  occupied  successively 
by  six  women :  Queen  Marie  Therese,  the  wife  of 
Louis  XIV;  the  Dauphine  of  Bavaria,  the  wife  of 
Monseigneur ;  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne ;  the  In- 
fanta of  Spain,  the  fiancee  of  Louis  XV  from  1722  to  1725, 
when  the  projected  marriage  was  broken  off;  Queen  Marie 
Leczinska;  and  finally  Queen  Marie  Antoinette.  Queen 
Marie  Therese  was  an  insignificant  figure  in  the  brilliant 
court  of  her  husband,  being  completely  eclipsed  by  the  Mar- 
quise de  Montespan,  nor  did  she  long  enjoy  her  new  apart- 
ments at  Versailles.  They  were  ready  for  her  in  1676,  and 
she  died  in  1683. 

THE  QUEEN'S   BEDCHAMBER 

In  this  room  two  queens  and  two  dauphines  have  died,  and 
nineteen  children  of  France  have  been  born.  The  original 
decoration  has  entirely  disappeared;  modified  by  Louis  XV 
for  Marie  Leczinska,  it  was  completely  changed  in  1770  for 
Marie  Antoinette,  and  in  turn  the  decorations  made  for 
Marie  Antoinette  were  destroyed  by  the  architects  of  Louis 
Philippe  to  make  space  for  the  large  paintings  with  which 
the  walls  are  now  covered.  The  ceiling  with  its  gilded  sculp- 
tures dates  from  the  time  of  Marie  Antoinette.  The  original 
ceiling  was  painted  by  Gilbert  de  Seve.  In  Louis  XIV's 
day  there  stood  before  the  queen's  bed  a  splendid  balustrade 

26 


The  State  Apartments  of  the  Queen 

of  silver,  like  that  in  the  salon  of  Mercury,  but  when  the 
king  sent  his  silver  furniture  to  the  mint  this  balustrade  was 
replaced  by  one  of  carved  and  gilded  wood.  The  apartment 
of  Marie  Therese  was  paneled  with  marble,  and  in  winter 
hung  with  rich  tapestries.  The  bed  stood  on  an  estrade, 
facing  the  windows,  under  a  lofty  plumed  canopy,  and  the 
furniture  was  blue  and  gold.  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 
when  she  lived  here  as  dauphine,  added  several  beautiful 
cabinets  which  contained  her  jewels  and  a  part  of  the  crown 
diamonds.  The  large  pier-glass  in  its  gilded  frame  between 
the  windows  dates  from  the  time  of  Marie  Antoinette,  and 
the  tragedy  of  her  life  has  made  her  souvenirs  supreme  in 
this  spot,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  else.  It  is  as  difficult  to  disso- 
ciate this  apartment  from  Marie  Antoinette,  and  associate 
it  with  Marie  Therese,  as  it  is  to  discover  what  its  decora- 
tions and  furnishings  were  in  the  time  of  that  simple  and 
insignificant  woman.  But  as  those  decorations  and  furnish- 
ings were  ordered,  not  by  her  simple  self,  but  by  her  mag- 
nificent husband,  it  may  be  safely  asserted  that  the  bed- 
chamber of  Marie  Therese  was  worthy  of  a  Queen  of  France. 

THE  GRAND  CABINET  OF  THE  QUEEN 

The  queen's  state  apartments  occupy  the  south  side  of  the 
central  projection  of  the  chateau,  facing  the  parterre  du  Midi, 
and  enjoy  a  wealth  of  sunshine  which  the  state  apartments  of 
the  king,  on  the  north  side,  lack.  Yet  there  was  not  much 
sunshine  in  the  life  of  Marie  Therese.  In  her  grand  cabinet, 
which  opens  out  of  her  bedchamber,  she  held  her  receptions, 
and  people  were  presented  to  her.  With  the  exception  of  the 
ceiling,  painted  by  Michel  Corneille  and  representing  Mer- 
cury surrounded  by  the  Arts  and  Sciences,  nearly  all  the 
original  decorations  of  the  apartment  have  been  changed. 
When  the  queen  gave  audience,  her  chair  was  placed  at  the 

27 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

end  of  the  room  on  an  estrade  under  a  canopy;  but  she  died 
so  soon  after  Louis  had  made  this  palace  the  seat  of  his 
government  that  she  plays  almost  no  part  in  the  court  of 
Versailles. 

In  those  piquant  memoirs  of  the  regent's  mother  there  is 
this  portrait  of  Marie  Therese,  somewhat  exaggerated  no 
doubt :  "  Our  queen  was  excessively  ignorant,  but  the  kindest 
and  most  virtuous  woman  in  the  world.  She  believed  every- 
thing the  king  told  her,  good  or  bad.  Her  teeth  were  very 
ugly,  being  black  and  broken.  It  is  said  that  this  proceeded 
from  her  being  in  the  constant  habit  of  taking  chocolate;  she 
also  frequently  ate  garlic.  She  was  short  and  fat,  and  her 
skin  was  very  white.  When  she  was  not  walking  or  dan- 
cing, she  seemed  much  taller.  She  ate  frequently  and  for  a 
long  time;  but  her  food  was  always  cut  in  pieces  as  small 
as  if  they  were  for  a  singing  bird.  She  could  not  forget  her 
country,  and  her  manners  were  always  remarkably  Spanish. 
She  was  very  fond  of  play ;  she  played  basset,  reversis,  ombre, 
and  sometimes  a  little  primero;  but  she  never  won  because 
she  did  not  know  how  to  play.  She  had  such  an  affection  for 
the  king  that  she  used  to  watch  his  eyes  to  do  whatever 
might  be  agreeable  to  him;  if  he  only  looked  at  her  kindly 
she  was  in  good  spirits  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  She  was 
very  glad  when  the  king  quitted  his  mistresses  for  her,  and 
displayed  so  much  satisfaction  that  it  was  commonly  re- 
marked. She  had  no  objection  to  being  joked  upon  this  sub- 
ject, and  upon  such  occasions  used  to  laugh  and  wink  and 
rub  her  little  hands.  .  .  .  The  king,  nevertheless,  had  always 
great  consideration  for  her,  and  made  his  mistresses  treat  her 
with  all  becoming  respect.  He  loved  her  for  her  virtue,  and 
for  the  sincere  affection  she  bore  to  him,  notwithstanding  his 
infidelity.  He  was  much  affected  at  her  death.  .  ,  .  The 
queen  died  of  an  abscess  under  her  arm.  Instead  of  making 
it  burst,  Fagon,  who  was  unfortunately  then  her  physician, 

28 


Marie  Therese,  Queen  of  France 


The  State  Apartments  of  the  Queen 

had  her  blooded;  this  drove  in  the  abscess,  the  disorder  at- 
tacked her  internally,  and  an  emetic,  which  was  administered 
after  her  bleeding,  had  the  effect  of  killing  the  queen."  ^ 

The  body  of  Marie  Therese  lay  in  state  in  this  salon,  and 
in  the  Gazette  we  find  the  official  ceremony  in  detail :  "  On 
the  31st  of  July  the  corpse  of  the  queen  was  opened  and 
embalmed,  and  they  took  from  it  the  heart  and  the  entrails. 
The  heart  was  embalmed  and  inclosed  in  a  silver  case  upon 
which  was  this  inscription:  This  is  the  heart  of  Marie 
Therese,  Infanta  of  Spain,  wife  of  Louis  le  Grand,  XIV  of 
the  name;  she  died  on  the  joth  of  July,  i68j.  The  entrails 
were  also  embalmed  and  placed  in  an  urn.  The  body,  after 
having  been  embalmed  and  clad  in  the  dress  of  St.  Frangois 
by  the  queen's  women,  was  laid  in  a  leaden  coffin,  on  which 
they  placed  this  inscription :  This  is  the  body  of  the  very  high, 
very  excellent,  and  very  powerful  princess,  Marie  Therese, 
Infanta  of  Spain,  wife  of  Louis  le  Grand,  XIV  of  the  name; 
she  died  at  the  Chateau  of  Versailles  on  Friday,  the  ^oth  of 
July,  1683,  at  the  age  of  forty-Uve  years.  They  carried  the 
coffin  into  the  grand  cabinet,  which  was  hung  from  top  to 
bottom  with  black  velvet,  adorned  with  the  queen's  coat  of 
arms;  and  while  the  priests  of  the  Mission  established  in 
the  parish  of  Versailles,  the  Feuillants  and  Recollets,  chanted 
the  De  profundis,  they  placed  it  on  an  estrade,  raised  two 
steps,  under  a  dais  of  black  velvet,  fringed  with  silver,  and 
ornamented  with  the  arms  of  the  queen.  The  coffin  was 
covered  with  a  royal  mantle  trimmed  with  ermine,  upon 
which  was  placed  a  crown  of  gold,  half  hidden  by  crape. 
The  silver  case  containing  the  heart  was  brought  into  the 
same  cabinet  and  laid  upon  one  of  the  two  altars  which  had 
been  prepared  for  the  celebration  of  the  mass.  About  the 
estrade  and  on  the  altars  were  a  large  number  of  silver  chan- 
deliers filled  with  lighted  wax  tapers.     The  queen's  bed- 

*  Memoirs  of  Elizabeth-Charlotte,  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  pp.  103-104. 

29 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

chamber,  her  antechamber,  the  hall  of  her  guards,  and  the  mar- 
ble staircase  were  also  hung  with  black  velvet,  ornamented 
with  her  coat  of  arms.  Four  bishops,  who  came  every  day  to 
assist  at  the  prayers,  were  placed  at  the  right  of  the  body ;  and 
above  them  were  the  four  almoners  of  the  queen.  The  Mar- 
quise de  Montespan,  superintendent  of  the  queen's  household, 
the  Duchesse  de  Crequi,  dame  d'honneur,  the  Comtesse  de  Be- 
thune,  dame  d'atour,  and  the  ladies  of  the  palace  were  placed 
at  the  left;  they  were  relieved  every  two  hours  by  the  duch- 
esses and  by  the  other  ladies  who  had  been  invited.  Two 
heralds  at  arms  in  black  robes,  with  their  coats  of  arms  and 
their  wands  of  office,  were  at  the  foot  of  the  estrade.  They 
presented  the  holy-water  brush  to  the  princes,  princesses, 
dukes,  duchesses,  marshals  of  France,  officers  of  the  crown, 
ladies  of  the  palace,  and  the  other  ladies,  who  came  to  sprinkle 
the  holy  water  on  the  coffin  at  the  appointed  hours. 

"  On  the  1st  of  August,  Monsieur,  Madame,  Mademoiselle, 
the  Prince  de  Conde,  the  Due  d'Enghien,  the  Prince  de  la 
Roche-sur-Yon,  and  the  Comte  de  Vermandois  ^  came  in 
the  morning  to  sprinkle  the  holy  water ;  and  after  dinner  the 
Grand  Duchesse  de  Toscane,  the  Duchesse  d'Enghien,  the 
Princesse  de  Conti,  and  Mile,  de  Bourbon  performed  the 
same  duty. 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  2d  of  August  the  heart  was  car- 
ried to  Val-de-Grace.  The  Cardinal  de  Bouillon,  grand  al- 
moner of  France,  raised  it  and  placed  it  on  a  black  velvet 
cushion.  He  held  it  thus  upon  his  knees  in  the  queen's  car- 
riage, where  were  Mademoiselle,  the  Grand  Duchesse  de  Tos- 
cane, the  Duchesse  d'Enghien,  Mile,  de  Bourbon,  and  the 
Princesse  de  Carignan,  all  in  black  mantles.  The  Marquise  de 
Montespan,  the  Duchesse  de  Crequi,  and  the  Comtesse  de  Be- 

* "  The  presence  at  such  a  cere-     la    Valliere,    seems    scandalous."— 
mony  of  the  Comte  de  Vermandois,    Dussieux,  I.  p.  191. 
the  son  of  the  king  and  Mile,   de 

30 


The  State  Apartments  of  the  Queen 

thune  accompanied  the  heart  also  in  the  same  carriage.  The 
carriage  was  surrounded  by  the  pages  and  valets  of  the 
queen,  and  by  the  Cent-Suisses,  marching  with  halberds 
lowered,  and  was  followed  by  the  king's  guards,  carrying 
tapers  of  white  wax.  A  large  number  of  other  carriages, 
draped  with  black  and  drawn  by  six  horses,  the  carriages  of 
Monsieur,  of  Madame,  of  the  princes  and  princesses  of  the 
blood,  and  of  the  lords  and  ladies  of  the  court,  preceded  and 
followed  the  queen's  carriage,  each  attended  by  valets  on 
foot,  bearing  lighted  tapers.  They  arrived  in  this  order  at 
Val-de-Grace.  On  the  loth  of  August  the  body  was  con- 
ducted to  St.  Denis  with  all  pomp."  * 

Thus  passed  Queen  Marie  Therese  at  the  moment  when 
the  grandeur  of  Versailles  had  just  begun,  at  the  moment, 
too,  when  the  influence  of  the  Marquise  de  Montespan  was 
ending,  and  the  queen's  death  left  the  coast  clear  for  the 
woman  who  was  to  rule  at  Versailles  after  a  fashion  for 
thirty  years,  Madame  de  Maintenon. 

THE  QUEEN'S  ANTECHAMBER 

With  the  exception  of  the  ceiling,  the  queen's  antechamber 
has  preserved  the  greater  part  of  its  original  decoration.  In 
this  apartment,  which  is  larger  than  either  the  bedchamber 
or  the  grand  cabinet,  the  queen  dined  in  public,  au  grand 
convert  as  it  was  called,  sometimes  alone,  sometimes  with 
the  king.  At  her  petit  convert  Her  Majesty  ate  in  her  bed- 
chamber or  in  one  of  her  cabinets.  At  the  public  dinner  the 
ushers  admitted  all  well-dressed  people,  who  came  by  the 
marble  staircase  into  the  Hall  of  the  Queen's  Guards,  and 
passed  then  into  the  corridor  behind  the  antechamber  into 
which  two  doors  at  either  end  of  the  antechamber  opened. 
Those  doors  are  now  closed  and  covered  with  large  paint- 
*  Dussieux,  I,  pp.  190-191. 

31 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

ings;  by  one  of  them  the  crowd  entered  the  antechamber, 
filed  through  it,  and  went  out  by  the  other.  The  ceremony 
of  the  pubHc  dinner  was  fatiguing,  for  the  gaze  of  the  crowd 
tended  to  banish  conversation  and  make  etiquette  more  rigid. 
At  the  grand  convert  the  king  and  queen  dined  in  pomp  and 
silence. 

In  17 1  o  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  who  then  inhabited 
the  state  apartments,  had  a  theater  set  up  in  the  antechamber 
that  she  might  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  seeing  comedies  while 
her  pregnancy  prevented  her  from  going  out.  Dangeau  tells 
us  that  the  theater  was  very  beautiful. 

THE  HALL  OF  THE  QUEEN'S  GUARDS 

This  splendid  salon,  the  first  of  the  state  apartments  of  the 
queen,  opening  upon  the  landing  of  the  marble  staircase,  has 
preserved  all  its  decoration  of  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  The 
walls  are  lined  throughout  with  black-and-white  marble,  and 
on  the  brilliant  ceiling,  which  is  the  work  of  Coypel,  Jupiter 
appears,  attended  by  Justice  and  Pity.  The  four  vases  of 
red  porphyry  in  the  corners  of  the  apartment  were  once  in 
the  Galerie  des  Glaces.  The  state  apartments  of  the  queen 
begin  with  this  hall.  They  have  been  described  here  in 
reverse  order,  as  is  necessary  when  they  are  entered  from  the 
salon  of  Peace.  Of  her  private  apartments  no  traces  remain ; 
they  opened  out  of  her  bedchamber,  but  they  have  entirely 
disappeared  in  the  various  changes  made  for  Marie  Le- 
czinska  and  for  Marie  Antoinette.  The  Petits  Appartemcnts 
de  la  Reine,  which  one  sees  at  Versailles  to-day,  are  those  of 
Marie  Antoinette,  and  hold  no  souvenirs  of  the  wife  of  Louis 
XIV.  Owing  to  the  death  of  Marie  Therese,  and  the  fact 
that  her  successor,  Madame  de  Maintenon,  was  never  publicly 
proclaimed,  there  was  no  queen  in  what  is  properly  known 
as  the  court  of  Versailles.     It  is  not  necessary,  therefore,  to 

32 


The  State  Apartments  of  the  Queen 

enumerate  the  various  officials  composing  the  queen's  house- 
hold. At  the  time  of  Marie  Therese  they  numbered  five  hun- 
dred and  seventy-two,  divided  into  departments  similar  to 
those  in  the  larger  service  of  the  king,  of  which  a  full  account 
will  be  given  later.  To  finish,  then,  with  the  queen,  there 
remains  but  a  word  concerning  her  staircase. 

THE  QUEEN'S  STAIRCASE 

The  staircase  of  the  queen,  called  also  the  marble  staircase, 
was  built  in  1671,  as  was  the  ambassadors'  staircase  on  the 
other  side  of  the  royal  court,  and  in  point  of  uniformity  the 
interior  of  the  palace  has  been  greatly  marred  by  the  loss 
of  the  latter.  Less  imposing  than  that  vanished  grand  stair- 
case of  the  king,  the  queen's  staircase  is  still  very  handsome, 
all  of  marble,  and  ornamented  with  gilded  sculptures.  Even 
in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV  this  staircase  was  more  in  use 
than  the  other,  as  it  led  not  only  to  the  state  apartments  of  the 
queen,  but  to  the  private  apartments  of  the  king,  and  also  to 
the  apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  all  of  which  opened 
upon  its  landing  and  vestibule  of  marble.  The  arches  that 
lead  from  the  royal  court  to  the  entrance  vestibule  on  the 
ground  floor  were  closed  formerly  with  handsome  gates  of 
gilded  iron,  the  work  of  Delobel. 


33 


VII 
THE  PRIVATE  APARTMENTS   OF  THE  KING 

THE  expression  private  apartments,  in  connection 
with  the  rooms  about  to  be  described,  is  apt  to  be 
misleading.  Louis  XIV  had  little  or  no  privacy 
as  we  understand  the  term,  and  though  several  of 
these  salons  were  full  of  people  at  all  hours,  they  are  called 
(^the  private  apartments  to  distinguish  them  from  the  state 
apartments ;  in  them  Louis  lived  and  worked,  surrounded  and 
followed  by  a  crowd  of  courtiers,  who  had  the  right  of  en- 
trance. 

THE  HALL  OF  THE  KING'S  GUARDS 

This  hall  opens  on  the  upper  vestibule  of  the  marble  staircase, 
at  the  other  end  of  which  were  the  apartments  of  Madame 
de  Maintenon.  The  landing  of  the  staircase  separates  the 
vestibule  from  the  Hall  of  the  Queen's  Guards,  already  men- 
tioned. With  the  exception  of  the  gilded  cornice  decorated 
with  sculptures  representing  subjects  of  war,  and  the  marble 
chimneypiece,  the  original  decorations  of  this  room  have 
entirely  disappeared,  and  those  placed  here  by  Louis  Philippe 
at  the  time  of  the  creation  of  the  palace  museum  are  cheap 
and  inartistic.  But  under  the  Grand  Monarch  this  room, 
which  formed  the  entrance  to  his  private  apartments,  was 
lined  with  marble  and  splendidly  adorned.  The  body-guards 
and  Cent-Suisses  were  on  duty  here. 

34 


The  Private  Apartments  of  the  King 

THE   KING'S   ANTECHAMBER 

Of  the  original  decoration  of  this  antechambc*,  the  second 
room  of  the  suite,  nothing  remains  but  the  chimneypiece  in 
the  colored  marble  of  Languedoc.  Here  the  king  dined  au 
grand  convert  when  he  ate  in  public  in  his  own  apartments, 
which  was  seldom,  but  he  supped  here  every  evening  in 
state  with  the  members  of  the  royal  family.  In  addition  to 
serving  as  a  dining-room,  the  antechamber  was  used  for 
other  purposes,  one  of  which  is  given  in  the  Etat  de  la  France 
de  iyo8  as  follows :  "  In  the  king's  antechamber,  on  every 
Monday  at  noon,  the  valets  prepare  a  table,  which  they  cover 
with  green  velvet,  and  place  before  it  an  arm-chair  for  the 
king.  M.  de  Chamillart,  Secretary  of  State,  stands  at  the  left 
of  this  chair,  and  after  the  council,  about  half-past  twelve, 
before  the  king  goes  to  chapel  to  hear  mass,  if  he  has  not 
already  heard  it,  all  people  who  have  petitions  to  present 
come  to  place  them  respectfully  on  this  table.  These  peti- 
tions are  received  by  a  clerk  of  M.  de  Chamillart,  and  the 
Secretary  of  State,  who  on  this  occasion  represents  the  king, 
reads  them  carefully,  and  writes  in  the  margin  of  each  one 
the  name  of  the  minister  or  secretary  to  whom  the  petition 
should  be  sent."  ^ 

THE  GRAND  ANTECHAMBER  OF  THE  KING 

This  beautiful  apartment  is  best  known  by  the  name  of 
the  CEil-de-Boeuf ,  from  the  large  oval  window  opposite  the 
chimney;  but  as  that  name  was  not  used  until  the  reign  of 
Louis  XV,  it  is  fitting  to  refer  to  the  room  here  by  the  desig- 
nation applied  to  it  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV — namely,  the 
grand  antechamber  of  the  king.  Prior  to  1701  the  grand 
antechamber  was  divided  into  two  apartments,  a  salon  and  a 
^  Dussieux,  I,  p.  248. 

35 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

bedchamber,  the  latter  being  the  bedchamber  of  Louis  XIII, 
which  became  for  some  years  the  bedchamber  of  his  son; 
but  in  1 70 1,  when  Louis  XIV  estabHshed  his  new  bedchamber 
in  the  adjoining  apartment,  these  two  rooms  were  united  and 
became  the  grand  antechamber.  From  the  grand  antecham- 
ber two  doors  open  into  the  antechamber  where  the  king 
dined,  two  into  his  bedchamber,  and  three  into  the  grand  gal- 
lery. The  decorations  of  the  grand  antechamber  have  es- 
caped the  ravages  of  the  Revolution  and  the  architects  of 
the  Empire,  and  are  very  beautiful.  The  frieze  of  children, 
in  bas-reliefs  of  gilded  stucco,  which  surrounds  the  room 
between  the  cornice  and  vault  of  the  ceiling,  has  remarkable 
grace  and  charm.  This  is  the  work  of  four  artists,  Flamen, 
Van  Cleve,  Hurtrelle,  and  Pouitier.  The  ceiling  is  white, 
for  none  of  the  private  apartments  have  frescoed  ceilings. 
Between  the  doors  are  large  mirrors  in  gilded  frames  of  ex- 
cellent workmanship,  and  the  doors  themselves  are  richly 
carved  and  gilded.  To  the  right  and  left  of  the  entrances  to 
the  gallery  hang  equestrian  portraits  of  the  king  and  of  Mon- 
sieur, his  brother ;  that  of  the  king  was  formerly  in  the  salon 
of  Abundance.  On  the  opposite  wall  may  be  seen  a  large 
painting  by  Nocret,  representing  the  family  of  Louis  XIV, 
near  which  stands  a  table  of  the  king's  day,  of  carved  and 
gilded  wood  with  a  top  of  granite.  The  grand  antechamber 
lacks  nothing  but  light  to  make  it  superb ;  it  has  two  windows 
looking  on  the  marble  court,  and  two  on  the  small  interior 
court  called  the  queen's  court,  but  they  seem  hardly  sufficient. 
In  this  apartment  the  princes  and  the  nobles,  admitted  to  the 
lever  of  the  king,  waited  each  morning  for  the  hour  when  the 
doors  of  the  royal  bedchamber  were  opened  for  them  to  enter. 

THE  BEDCHAMBER  OF  LOUIS   XIV 

The  king's  chamber  is  sumptuous  and  magnificent.  As  it  is 
the  center  of  the  chateau,  so  it  was  the  center  of  the  old  court 

36 


The  Private  Apartments  of  the  King 

life;  to  enter  through  those  white-and-gold  doors,  where  one 
passes  now  so  easily,  was  once  the  ambition  of  thousands  of 
men  and  women.  There  are  some  curious  statements  in 
the  Memoirs  of  Saint-Simon ;  for  example,  the  following  sen- 
tence, referring  to  the  king's  chamber  at  Versailles :  "  His 
own  apartments  and  those  of  the  queen  are  inconvenient  to 
the  last  degree,  dull,  close,  stinking."  ^  No  doubt,  according 
to  modern  ideas  of  comfort,  the  king's  chamber  was  inconve- 
nient, but  the  duke's  other  adjectives  are  nothing  more  than 
the  splenetic  effusions  of  a  disappointed  and  spiteful  man. 

The  view  from  the  windows  of  the  royal  bedchamber, 
across  the  spacious  courtyards  and  down  the  distant  Avenue 
de  Paris,  is  more  striking  than  that  Qbtained  from  any  other 
apartment  of  the  palace,  with  the  exception  of  the  view  of 
the  gardens  from  the  windows  of  the  Galerie  des  Glaces. 
There  is  abundance  of  light,  for  the  king's  chamber  faces  the 
east.  The  white-and-gold  blinds,  adorned  with  the  royal 
cipher  and  crown,  are  still  in  place;  but  they  are  opened  no 
longer  at  eight  in  the  morning  by  a  valet  de  chambre  that  a 
Sun  King  may  rise  and  shine  upon  a  waiting  world.  At 
either  end  of  the  room  are  fireplaces  with  mantels  of  bluish 
marble  and  large  mirrors  adorned  with  gilded  sculptures. 
The  richly  carved  cornice  and  the  walls  with  their  beautiful 
pilasters  are  a  mass  of  gilding.  The  west  wall  is  hung  with 
crimson  velvet,  bordered  with  gold,  and  above  the  cornice 
France  sits  enthroned  on  a  heap  of  arms,  beneath  a  gilded 
pavilion.^  Below  stands  the  king's  bed  on  an  estrade  under 
a  lofty  canopy  adorned  with  white  plumes.  The  balustrade 
of  carved  and  gilded  wood,  which  separates  the  bed  from  the 
remainder  of  the  apartment,  is  that  of  Louis's  day,  as  is  the 
bed  itself,  but  neither  the  canopy  of  the  bed  nor  the  furniture 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  369.  give  also  the  names  of  the  four  ar- 

'  These   sculptures   are   the   work  tists  who  carved  the  figures  above 

of    Coustou   and    Lespingola.     The  the  doors  and  mirrors — Julien,  Ar- 

Comptes  des  Batiments  of  1701-02  mand,  Guyot,  and  Nourisson. 

37 


a 300683 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

at  either  side  appeared  there  at  that  period.  However,  Louis 
Philippe,  who  saved  Versailles  from  utter  ruin,  has  spared 
no  pains  to  reproduce  here,  with  such  materials  as  were  at 
his  command,  the  bedchamber  of  the  Grand  Monarch,  and 
he  has  been  successful,  much  more  so  than  in  some  of  his 
other  efforts  in  the  palace.  The  paintings  which  hung  for- 
merly at  either  side  of  the  bed,  "  David,"  by  Domenichino, 
and  "  St.  John,"  by  Raphael,  are  now  in  the  Louvre.  The 
Etat  de  la  France  de  iyo8  gives  the  following  details :  "  They 
are  accustomed  to  make  the  king's  bed  while  His  Majesty 
is  at  mass.  In  making  it  a  valet  de  chamhre  is  at  either  side 
and  an  upholsterer  at  the  foot.  A  valet  de  chamhre  remains 
seated  inside  the  balustrade  to  guard  the  bed,  and  at  meal- 
time he  is  relieved  by  one  of  his  comrades.  It  is  his  business 
to  guard  the  bed  and  to  prevent  any  one  from  coming  inside 
the  balustrade.  One  of  the  valets  de  chamhre  on  duty  for 
the  day  should  guard  the  king's  bed  throughout  the  whole 
day,  remaining  inside  the  balustrade.  The  ushers  take  care 
that  people  do  not  put  on  their  hats  or  seat  themselves  in  the 
chamber.  Whenever  the  king  leaves  the  chateau  for  a  few 
days,  a  valet  de  chamhre  remains  to  guard  the  bed  and 
sleeps  at  the  foot  of  it."  ^  These  precautions  were  necessary 
in  an  apartment  through  which  so  many  people  passed 
daily.  In  passing  the  bed  the  courtiers,  according  to 
etiquette,  saluted  it:  the  ladies  made  a  curtsy  and  the  men 
bowed. 

In  this  bedchamber  the  ceremonies  of  the  lever  and  coucher 
of  the  king  took  place  each  day;  here,  also,  the  king  fre- 
quently gave  audience  to  ambassadors  and  received  the  oath 
of  the  officers  of  his  household,  and  here  each  day  he  dined 
au  petit  convert.  At  the  present  time  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting works  of  art  in  the  royal  chamber  hangs  to  the  left 
of  the  bed,  under  a  copy  of  a  painting  by  Rubens;  it  is  a 
*Dussieux,  I,  p.  232. 

38 


The  Private  Apartments  of  the  King 

medallion  in  wax  of  Louis  XIV,  executed  by  Antoine  Benoist 
in  1706,  a  remarkable  portrait  of  the  king  in  his  old  age. 


THE   KING'S   CABINETS 

At  the  present  time  the  king's  cabinets  are  united  in  one 
apartment  called  the  hall  of  the  Council,  a  room  opening  on 
one  side  into  the  king's  bedchamber,  on  another  into  the 
grand  gallery,  and  on  a  third  into  the  bedchamber  of  Louis 
XV,  formerly  the  billiard-room.  Under  Louis  XIV  this  hall 
of  the  Council  was  divided  into  two  cabinets ;  the  larger  cab- 
inet, next  to  the  royal  chamber,  was  called  the  king's  cabinet, 
and  the  smaller  one,  beyond,  the  cabinet  of  Wigs.  The  king's 
cabinet  was  magnificently  furnished.  His  writing-desk  was 
of  silver-gilt,  enriched  with  four  diamonds  at  the  corners, 
and  having  a  drawer  whose  handle  was  adorned  with  a 
large  diamond.  The  inkstand,  which  rested  on  a  tray  of  blue 
enamel,  was  in  the  form  of  a  globe  of  blue  enamel,  orna- 
mented with  diamond  fleurs-de-lis,  and  surmounted  by  a  sun 
with  rays  of  gold  set  with  diamonds,  bearing  the  legend 
Nee  pluribus  impar}  At  either  side  of  the  globe,  lions  of 
carved  silver  held  on  their  heads  the  ink-bottle  and  the  sand- 
box. The  seals  were  of  gold.  De  Villiers  had  made  the  ink- 
stand ;  and  on  the  chimneypiece  stood  a  clock  of  gold,  adorned 
with  diamonds,  rubies,  and  emeralds,  the  work  of  Langlois. 
The  furniture  was  covered  with  green  velvet  bordered  with 
gold  fringe,  and  the  walls  were  hung  with  a  number  of  rare 
paintings  in  frames  of  gilded  wood,  carved  by  Caffieri,  or  in 
frames  of  carved  silver.  There  were  also  fourteen  busts  and 
statues  of  marble  or  of  bronze.  This  sumptuous  cabinet  was 
the  center  of  the  monarchy;  here  the  king  worked  with  his 
ministers,  and  in  this  room  he  decided  upon  nearly  all  the 

*Inventaire  des  diamants  de  la  Couronne,  II,  p.  75 
(Dussieux,  I,  p.  223). 

39 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

important  measures  of  the  last  thirty  years  of  his  reign.  He 
had  here  his  plans  of  fortifications  and  canals. 

In  the  adjoining  cabinet  the  king's  wigs  were  kept  in  glass 
cases.  He  changed  his  wig  several  times  each  day,  usually 
before  going  to  mass,  before  driving  out  after  dinner,  on  re- 
turning from  the  hunt  or  the  promenade,  and  again  before 
going  to  supper.  These  changes  were  necessary  that  His 
Majesty  might  appear  at  all  hours  in  a  wig  properly  curled 
and  in  perfect  order.  Every  morning  Quentin,  the  king's 
barber,  who  had  charge  of  the  wigs,  brought  to  Louis  two 
of  different  lengths  that  he  might  choose  one  to  begin  the 
day. 

There  were  also  the  little  cabinets  which  surrounded  the 
Cour  des  Cerf s,  two  of  which  opened  into  the  cabinet  of  Wigs ; 
but  these  were  swept  away  by  Louis  XV,  who  made  great 
changes  in  this  part  of  the  chateau.  One  was  the  king's 
bath-room;  in  others  the  people  of  the  service,  the  gargons 
hleus,  were  in  waiting,  and  in  some  he  kept  his  dogs.  Where 
one  sees  to-day  Louis  XV's  cabinet  of  the  Chase  there  was 
formerly  a  staircase,  the  back  staircase  to  which  Saint-Simon 
frequently  refers ;  by  it  the  king  could  go  down  to  the  marble 
court  if  he  did  not  wish  to  take  his  coach  at  the  public  en- 
trance, and  he  made  use  of  it  often  to  grant  secret  audiences 
in  his  cabinet  when  for  one  reason  or  another  it  might  have 
been  unwise  to  have  had  the  person  received  pass  through 
the  Hall  of  the  Guards  and  the  crowded  antechambers ;  by  it 
also  the  people  of  the  service  came  and  went. 

THE  BILLIARD-ROOM 

From  the  king's  cabinet  and  from  the  cabinet  of  Wigs  doors 
led  to  the  billiard-room,  which  became  later  the  bedchamber 
of  Louis  XV  and  of  Louis  XVI.  King  Louis  XIV  was  fond 
of  billiards,  and  his  taste  for  the  game  lasted  a  long  time. 

40 


The  Private  Apartments  of  the  King 

On  winter  evenings  he  played  with  M.  de  Vendome  and  the 
Due  de  Gramont,  and  especially  with  the  Marechal  de  Vil- 
leroi  and  M.  de  Chamillart ;  the  latter,  who  became  Secretary 
of  State,  owed  the  foundation  of  his  fortune  to  his  skill 
with  the  cue.  Among  its  decorations  the  billiard-room  had 
seventeen  large  branched  candlesticks  of  gilded  bronze,  which 
were  the  work  of  Boule, 

THE  CABINETS   OF  AGATES   AND   OF  JEWELS 

These  two  apartments,  separated  only  by  arches,  formed  a 
glittering  hall,  and  were  filled  with  precious  objects.  To- 
gether with  the  billiard-room,  just  mentioned,  they  occupied 
the  north  side  of  the  marble  court  on  the  main  floor.  Under 
Louis  XV  the  cabinet  of  Agates  was  changed  and  redecorated 
and  became  the  salon  of  the  Clocks,  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  his  private  apartments.  The  arches  were  closed 
by  a  wall,  and  the  cabinet  of  Jewels  was  transformed  into 
a  dining-room.  But,  as  was  generally  the  case  with  Louis 
XV,  what  he  destroyed  was  superior  to  what  he  created. 
From  1684  to  1686  Louis  XIV  purchased  many  curiosities 
and  works  of  art  for  these  rooms.  He  had  agents  every- 
where, in  Venice,  in  Rome,  in  Constantinople,  in  Milan; 
and  Europe  and  the  East  were  ransacked  for  costly  vases 
and  rare  jewels  to  garnish  the  Sun  King's  cabinets  at  Ver- 
sailles. The  furniture  and  jewel  cabinets  in  these  apartments 
were  made  by  Boule,  and  the  paintings  were  set  in  frames 
of  carved  silver  or  of  silver-gilt. 

THE  LITTLE  GALLERY  AND   THE  CABINET  OF  MEDALS 

The  cabinet  of  Jewels  opened  into  an  oval  salon  lined  with 
mirrors,  and  that,  in  turn,  gave  access  to  the  little  gallery, 
whose  windows  looked  out  on  the  royal  court  above  the  en- 
trance to  the  ambassadors'  staircase.  The  site  of  the  little  gal- 

41 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

lery  had  been  occupied  previously  by  the  apartments  of  Ma- 
dame de  Montespan  at  the  time  of  her  favor.  This  gallery 
had  a  splendid  ceiling,  painted  by  Mignard,  who  received 
33,000  livres  for  the  work,  and,  with  a  salon  at  either  end, 
was  decorated  on  a  small  scale  like  the  Galerie  des  Glaces. 
From  the  little  gallery  doors  opened  upon  the  landing  of  the 
ambassadors'  staircase. 

The  cabinet  of  Medals,  though  not  directly  connected  with 
the  king's  private  apartments,  belonged,  however,  to  the  suite. 
To  reach  it  the  king  passed  from  the  little  gallery  along  the 
landing  of  the  ambassadors'  staircase  into  the  salon  of  Venus, 
and  turned  to  the  right  into  the  small  salon  of  Abundance, 
in  the  south  wall  of  which  a  door,  raised  two  steps  from  the 
floor,  led  to  the  cabinet  of  Medals.  The  room  was  octagonal 
in  form,  richly  gilded,  hung  with  pictures  by  Van  Dyck, 
Holbein,  Raphael,  and  Claude  Lorrain,  and  lined  with  mir- 
rors and  beautiful  cabinets  containing  medals,  coins,  and 
cameos.  Of  these  Louis  had  a  superb  collection  in  gold,  sil- 
ver, bronze,  agate,  jasper,  onyx,  and  all  sorts  of  precious 
stones,  and  he  went  to  see  them  frequently  and  to  show  them 
to  others,  for  he  was  very  fond  of  art  and  of  artistic  things. 
Rainsant,  who  had  charge  of  the  medals,  had  arranged  the 
collection  with  so  much  intelligence  that  Louis  was  delighted 
and  took  pleasure  in  studying  with  him  the  most  curious 
pieces.  On  such  occasions  Pere  de  la  Chaise,  who  was  fond 
of  medals  and  pretended  to  be  well  versed  in  the  subject, 
made  that  a  pretext  for  being  with  the  king.  The  greater 
part  of  the  royal  collection  is  now  in  the  National  Library 
in  Paris.  With  this  cabinet  of  Medals  the  private  apartments 
of  the  king  ended.  Therefore  let  us  return  to  the  upper  vesti- 
bule of  the  marble  staircase  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  royal 
court  and  inspect  the  apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon. 


42 


VIII 

THE  APARTMENTS  OF  MADAME  DE 
MAINTENON 

IOUIS  PHILIPPE  deserves  so  much  credit  for  saving 
the  Chateau  of  Versailles  from  ruin  and  for  estab- 
lishing the  magnificent  historical  museum  which  it 
^  contains  that  it  is  unpleasant  to  have  to  criticize  him 
severely;  but  the  fact  remains  that  in  the  apartments  of 
Madame  de  Maintenon  Louis  Philippe's  work  was  nothing 
less  than  vandalism.  Both  the  Citizen  King  and  his  architects 
labored  under  the  delusion  that  those  apartments  were  on 
the  north  side  of  the  royal  court  instead  of  on  the  south, 
when,  as  Dussieux  in  his  admirable  work  on  Versailles  has 
pointed  out,  they  might  have  discovered  their  error  with  the 
least  research.^  Thus,  without  knowing  what  they  were 
doing,  and  in  order  to  build  a  staircase  to  the  attic  floor  and 
find  room  for  a  number  of  paintings  illustrating  the  history 
of  France  from  1792  to  1796,  they  destroyed  apartments  so 
full  of  souvenirs. 

The  apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  opened  upon 
the  upper  vestibule  of  the  marble  staircase,  directly  opposite 
the  Hall  of  the  King's  Guards,  and  consisted  of  five  rooms. 
These  were  composed  as  follows :  two  antechambers  with 
a  little  cabinet,  a  bedchamber,  and  a  grand  cabinet.  The 
antechambers  and  the  bedchamber  were  above  the  main  en- 
trance to  the  marble  staircase  of  the  queen,  and  their  win- 
*  Dussieux,  I,  p.  274. 

43 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

dows  looked  out  on  the  royal  court.  The  little  cabinet,  which 
had  a  narrow  staircase  leading  to  the  entresol  for  the  use 
of  the  servants,  opened  out  of  the  first  antechamber;  in 
crossing  the  first  antechamber  to  the  second,  people  passed 
the  door  of  this  cabinet  on  the  right.  The  bedchamber,  which 
opened  out  of  the  second  antechamber,  was  a  corner  room, 
and  its  windows  and  balconies  still  remain. 

This  bedchamber  was  lighted  by  two  windows  on  the  north 
and  east.  Opposite  the  north  window  was  the  chimney,  and 
to  the  right  of  the  chimney,  back  in  an  alcove  which  had 
neither  light  nor  air,  stood  the  bed  of  Madame  de  Maintenon. 
In  the  corner  of  the  room  to  the  left  of  the  chimney  a  narrow 
passage,  which  still  exists,  led  from  the  bedchamber  to  the 
grand  cabinet.  It  is  unfortunate  that  no  traces  remain  of 
the  decorations  of  this  bedchamber,  where  the  king  spent  so 
much  time  in  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  and  where  so  much 
business  was  transacted.  Saint-Simon  tells  us  that  when 
Louis  worked  with  his  ministers  in  the  apartment  of  Ma- 
dame de  Maintenon  the  king's  table  was  placed  at  the  left 
of  the  chimney,  on  the  side  of  the  cabinet  mentioned  above, 
and  that  his  arm-chair  stood  with  its  back  to  the  wall. 
There  was  a  stool  for  the  minister,  and  another  for  his  papers. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  chimney,  in  a  niche  of  red  damask, 
Madame  de  Maintenon  sat  in  an  arm-chair,  with  a  small 
table  before  her. 

The  king  gave  these  apartments  to  Madame  de  Maintenon 
in  1682,  and  not,  as  has  been  frequently  stated,  after  her 
marriage  with  His  Majesty.  In  the  Comptes  de  1682  we  find 
that  Jouvenet  and  Mazeline  were  working  on  the  sculptures 
and  the  decorations,  but  it  is  possible  that  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon did  not  occupy  the  rooms  until  the  following  year,  at 
which  time,  according  to  the  Comptes  de  1682,  the  wainscot, 
the  painting,  and  the  gilding  were  finished.  In  1698  Louis 
enlarged  the  apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  by  giving 

44 


The  Apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon 

her  two  rooms,  previously  occupied  by  the  Cardinal  de  Fur- 
stemberg,  which  were  near  her  grand  cabinet;  but  in  171 3  she 
gave  them  up  to  the  Due  d'Alengon,  the  son  of  the  Due  de 
Berry.  She  had  also  her  hotel  at  Versailles,  18  Rue  des  Bons- 
Enfants,  and,  like  all  the  fashionable  world,  her  chateau  in 
the  country,  that  of  Maintenon. 


45 


IX 

THE  GRAND  HALL  OF  THE  GUARDS  AND 
OTHER  APARTMENTS 

THE  Grand  Hall  of  the  Guards  opens  upon  the  land- 
ing of  the  marble  staircase  and  into  the  Hall  of  the 
Queen's  Guards,  and  its  windows  look  out  on  the 
parterre  du  Midi.  On  the  third  side  was  the  bed- 
chamber of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  on  the  fourth  her 
grand  cabinet,  but  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV  no  doors  con- 
nected the  Hall  of  the  Guards  with  those  apartments.  The 
original  decorations  have  entirely  disappeared,  and  at  present, 
as  a  part  of  the  palace  museum,  the  Hall  of  the  Guards  is  de- 
voted to  Napoleon  and  the  glories  of  the  First  Empire.  This 
hall  was  the  first  chapel  of  the  chateau  from  1670  to  1682,  at 
which  date  the  second  chapel  was  constructed  to  the  north 
of  the  royal  court  on  the  site  of  th£  present  salon  of  Hercules. 
In  the  Grand  Hall  of  the  Guards,  Louis  XIV  washed  the  feet 
of  the  poor  each  year  on  Holy  Thursday. 

From  this  hall  a  handsome  passage  led  to  the  large  salon 
connecting  the  central  portion  of  the  chateau  with  the  south 
wing.  There  certain  shopkeepers,  who  had  bought  the  priv- 
ilege, had  their  booths  in  which  they  sold,  for  the  conve- 
nience of  the  courtiers,  books,  stationery,  watches,  jewelry, 
toilet  articles,  and  perfumery;  and  this  fact  gave  the  room 
its  name,  the  salon  of  Shopkeepers.  Under  Louis  XIV  these 
people  were  kept  within  limits,  but  at  a  later  period  they 
spread  themselves  on  the  landings  of  the  staircases  and  in 

46 


n 


The  Grand  Hall  of  the  Guards  and  Other  Apartments 

other  parts  of  the  chateau.  Beyond  this  salon  was  the  spa- 
cious staircase  of  the  princes  from  which  doors  led  to  the 
apartments  of  the  long  south  wing,  where  the  princes  of  the 
blood  were  lodged, 

THE   APARTMENTS    OF   THE   GOVERNESS    OF   THE 
CHILDREN   OF  FRANCE 

After  1682  the  governess  of  the  Children  of  France  was  the 
Marechale  de  la  Mothe,  who  occupied  a  suite  of  rooms  on  the 
main  floor  of  the  wing  which  stands  between  the  royal  court 
and  the  court  of  the  princes.  There  she  brought  up  the  three 
sons  of  the  Grand  Dauphin,  the  Dues  de  Bourgogne,  d'Anjou, 
and  de  Berry,  and  later  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  lived  there 
until  the  death  of  his  father  in  171 1. 

THE  NORTH  AND  SOUTH  WINGS 

To  finish  with  the  main  floor  of  the  chateau,  a  word  should  be 
added  concerning  the  north  and  south  wings  on  the  side  of 
the  gardens.  The  north  wing  was  inhabited  by  a  large  num- 
ber of  nobles  whose  residence  in  the  chateau  was  made  neces- 
sary by  the  nature  of  the  posts  they  held  at  court,  and  also 
by  some  other  people  to  whom  the  king  had  granted  apart- 
ments ;  while  in  the  south  wing,  as  has  been  said,  the  princes 
of  the  blood  were  lodged.  In  both  wings  the  rooms  were 
numerous,  and  in  the  north  wing,  owing  to  the  frequent 
changes  of  occupants,  apartments  were  being  altered  and 
redecorated  continually;  so  that,  with  one  or  two  exceptions, 
it  is  impossible  to  locate  with  any  certainty  the  lodgings  of 
particular  individuals.  The  exceptions,  however,  are  worthy 
of  note,  since  they  concern  the  two  writers,  Dangeau  and 
Saint-Simon,  who  have  given  us  the  most  intimate  know- 
ledge of  the  court  of  Louis  XIV.  Dangeau  lived  at  the  end 
of  the  south  wing  on  the  attic  floor,  facing  the  garden ;  Saint- 

47 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Simon  was  lodged  on  the  first  floor  in  the  north  wing.  We 
know  also  that  in  1682  the  Dauphine  of  Bavaria  had  apart- 
ments in  the  south  wing,  which  are  replaced  to-day  by  a 
portion  of  the  Gallery  of  Battles,  and  that  she  gave  birth 
there,  on  the  6th  of  August  of  that  year,  to  the  Due  de  Bour- 
gogne.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  where  others  lived, 
Racine,  for  example;  but  of  all  the  glittering  throng  that 
passed  daily  through  the  gilded  antechambers  and  salons  of 
the  Sun  King  no  traces  remain  save  the  portraits  which  hang 
in  the  palace  museum.  The  rooms,  the  little  cabinets,  salons, 
bedchambers,  and  entresols,  where  they  lived  and  planned 
and  plotted  and  loved  and  hated,  where  they  were  fed  and 
flattered,  were  fired  with  hope  and  ambition,  or  bitten  with 
jealousy  and  chagrin,  where  they  sunned  themselves  and 
where  they  suffered,  all  have  disappeared.  In  their  places 
are  long  galleries  and  lines  of  pictures,  portraying  the  glories 
of  France. 


48 


X 

THE  APARTMENTS  OF  MONSEIGNEUR 

THE  apartments  of  Mgr.  le  Grand  Dauphin  consisted 
of  ten  rooms  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  chateau, 
facing  the  parterre  du  Midi,  and  directly  under  the 
state  apartments  of  the  queen  and  the  salon  of 
Peace.  Though  Monseigneur  had  no  force  of  character,  he 
seems  to  have  had  much  taste  in  matters  of  art,  and  his  rooms 
were  so  beautiful  that  on  the  i8th  of  February,  1689,  the 
king  took  James  II  of  England  to  see  them,  as  one  of  the 
wonders  of  the  chateau. 

The  principal  entrance  to  the  dauphin's  apartments  was 
by  way  of  the  gallery  of  the  peristyle,  or  lower  gallery  as 
it  was  called  then,  which  is  beneath  the  Galerie  des  Glaces, 
and  is  called  now,  without  reason,  the  Gallery  of  Louis  XHI. 
Three  cabinets,  opening  one  into  another,  with  windows 
looking  out  on  the  great  terrace,  led  to  the  grand  cabinet, 
a  corner  room  under  the  salon  of  Peace.  Next  to  the  grand 
cabinet  was  the  dauphin's  bedchamber;  then  followed  four 
rooms  occupied  by  his  wife,  the  Dauphine  of  Bavaria;  and 
finally  the  Hall  of  the  Dauphin's  Guards,  opposite  the  lower 
vestibule  of  the  marble  staircase.  The  original  decorations 
of  all  these  rooms  were  destroyed  by  Louis  XV  in  1747,  and 
in  turn  the  decorations  of  the  Louis  XV  period,  which  had 
been  modified  for  Marie  Antoinette,  were  destroyed  by  Louis 
Philippe  to  find  space  for  portraits  of  admirals  and  marshals 
of  France.     Such  pictures  were  unsuitable,  but,  thanks  to 

49 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

the  taste  and  judgment  of  M.  Pierre  de  Nolhac,  the  distin- 
guished curator  of  the  Museum  of  Versailles,  who  in  the  last 
ten  years  has  done  so  much  to  make  the  chateau  a  history 
of  France  in  art,  they  have  been  removed  and  replaced  by 
portraits  and  decorations  appropriate  to  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. After  the  time  of  Monseigneur  the  rooms  were  occu- 
pied by  his  son,  the  Due  de  Bourgogne;  then  by  the  Regent 
Orleans,  who  died  suddenly  in  the  second  cabinet  in  1723; 
by  the  Due  de  Bourbon  during  his  ministry ;  by  the  Dauphin, 
the  son  of  Louis  XV;  by  the  Comte  de  Provence,  brother  of 
Louis  XVI ;  and  finally  by  the  children  of  Marie  Antoinette. 
For  the  son  of  Louis  XV  the  bedchamber  of  Monseigneur 
was  divided  into  two  apartments,  a  cabinet  and  a  library ;  the 
latter  has  escaped  destruction,  and  its  decorations  in  white 
and  blue  and  gold  are  among  the  most  beautiful  specimens 
of  French  art  in  the  eighteenth  century. 

Monseigneur  had  filled  his  rooms  with  riches.  "  At  the 
house  of  Monseigneur,"  wrote  Felibien,  "  one  sees  in  the 
cabinets  of  his  apartments  an  exquisite  collection  of  all  that  is 
most  rare  and  precious,  not  only  in  respect  to  the  necessary 
furniture,  tables,  cabinets,  porcelains,  mirrors,  chandeliers, 
but  also  paintings  by  the  most  famous  masters,  bronzes, 
vases  of  agate,  jewels,  and  cameos.  .  .  .  Mignard  has 
painted  the  ceiling  of  the  grand  cabinet,  where  he  has  rep- 
resented the  portrait  of  Monseigneur.  The  cabinet  which 
opens  into  the  lower  gallery  in  the  center  of  the  chateau  is 
paneled  on  walls  and  ceiling  with  ebony,  in  which  mirrors  are 
set  in  gilded  borders."  ^  Boule  made  most  of  the  furniture 
in  these  cabinets.  In  the  grand  cabinet  the  front  of  the 
chimney  was  decorated  with  paintings  on  a  gold  ground,  and 
for  one  massive  table  of  carved  silver  Balin  was  paid  68,259 
livres.2 

^  Dussieux,  I,  p.  295.  '  Idem. 


50 


XI 

VARIOUS  APARTMENTS  ON  THE  GROUND 
FLOOR 

IT  is  not  easy  to  reconstruct  the  arrangement  of  the 
ground    floor    of    the    chateau    as    it    existed    under 
Louis  XIV,  nor  is  it  necessary  to  do  so  here,  except  in 
certain  particulars,  which  may  serve  to  throw  some 
Hght  upon  the  mechanism  of  the  court. 

THE  APARTMENTS  OF  THE  BATHS 

The  apartments  of  the  Baths  consisted  of  five  large  rooms, 
furnished  and  decorated  with  great  luxury :  the  vestibule,  the 
salon  of  Diana,  the  salon,  the  chamber  of  the  Baths,  and  the 
cabinet  of  the  Baths.  They  were  beneath  the  state  apart- 
ments of  the  king,  and  their  windows  opened  on  the  parterre 
du  Nord  and  on  the  great  terrace ;  all  were  lined  with  the  most 
beautiful  marbles,  brought  from  all  parts  of  France,  and 
adorned  with  painted  ceilings  and  marble  columns  with  bases 
and  capitals  of  gilded  bronze.  The  vestibule  was  beneath 
the  salons  of  Mars  and  of  Mercury;  the  salon  was  under 
the  salon  of  War,  while  the  chamber  and  the  cabinet  of  the 
Baths  were  below  the  north  end  of  the  Galerie  des  Glaces. 
In  both  the  chamber  and  the  cabinet  there  were  marble  tubs, 
the  one  in  the  cabinet  being  octagonal  in  form,  richly  carved, 
and  costing  9000  livres  in  1673.^  Among  the  decorations  of 
the  chamber  was  a  mirror  of  marble. 

^  This  tub  was  taken  in   1750  to  the  Hermitage  of  Madame 
de  Pompadour. 

51 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

In  1684  the  king  took  from  Madame  de  Moiitespan  the 
rooms  she  had  occupied  on  the  first  floor,  to  the  north  of  the 
royal  court,  adjoining  his  private  apartments.  This  was 
the  first  public  mark  of  her  disgrace,  and  followed  almost  im- 
mediately Louis's  marriage  with  Madame  de  Maintenon.  He 
gave  to  the  Marquise  de  Montespan  the  apartments  of  the 
Baths,  but  to  render  them  habitable  for  her  it  was  necessary 
to  remove  many  of  the  marbles,  especially  the  marble  floors, 
for  which  floors  of  wood  were  substituted.  The  marquise 
took  possession  of  her  new  apartments  in  January,  1685, 
and  occupied  them  until  March,  1691,  the  time  of  her  final 
departure  from  the  court.  Louis  presented  them  then  to  the 
Due  du  Maine,  and  later  to  the  Comte  de  Toulouse,  both  of 
whom  were  his  sons  by  Madame  de  Montespan. 

THE  APARTMENTS  OF  THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  GUARDS 

The  captain  of  the  guards  was  lodged,  facing  the  marble 
court,  directly  under  the  king ;  his  bedchamber  was  below  the 
king's  cabinet.  Since  it  was  his  business  to  follow  the  king 
everywhere,  whenever  the  monarch  was  out  of  his  chamber, 
it  was  necessary  to  have  him  close  at  hand.  He  walked 
immediately  behind  the  king,  and  no  one  was  permitted  to 
pass  between  him  and  the  sovereign.  When  the  king  mounted 
his  horse  or  took  his  carriage,  the  captain  of  the  guards  fol- 
lowed him  on  horseback  or  in  a  carriage,  and  at  table  he  stood 
behind  the  monarch's  chair. 

THE   KING'S   WARDROBE 

The  rooms  in  which  Louis's  wearing-apparel  and  robes  of 
state  were  kept  faced  the  marble  court  on  the  south  side,  and 
were  below  the  Hall  of  the  King's  Guards  and  the  first  ante- 
chamber.    The  service  of  the  Wardrobe  was  directed  by  a 

52 


Various  Apartments  on  the  Ground  Floor 

grand  master,  having  under  his  orders  two  masters  of  the 
Wardrobe,  four  first  valets,  sixteen  valets,  four  gargons 
ordinaires,  and  a  large  number  of  subordinates,  tailors,  ho- 
siers, bootmakers,  etc. 

The  other  rooms  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  chateau  were 
occupied  under  Louis  XIV  by  different  members  of  the  no- 
bility, and  can  therefore  be  omitted.  But  before  leaving  the 
palace  to  pass  to  some  of  its  dependencies,  let  us  turn  to  the 
chapel,  where  the  Grand  Monarch,  who  had  become  devout 
through  the  influence  of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  sat  so  fre- 
quently in  the  last  years  of  his  life. 


53 


XII 

THE  CHAPEL 

THE  first  chapel  of  the  chateau,  that  o£  Louis  XIII, 
was  on  the  first  floor,  on  the  site  of  the  queen's 
staircase,  and  was  destroyed  in  1671,  at  the  time 
of  the  construction  of  that  staircase.  While  wait- 
ing for  the  new  chapel  to  be  finished,  a  temporary  chapel  was 
prepared  in  the  Grand  Hall  of  the  Guards,  which,  neverthe- 
less, served  as  the  chapel  of  the  chateau  for  ten  years,  1672 
to  1682,  as  is  sometimes  the  case  with  things  erected  orig- 
inally to  fill  a  temporary  need.  On  the  30th  of  April,  1682, 
the  third  chapel  was  blessed  by  the  Archbishop  of  Paris  in  the 
presence  of  the  king  and  queen,  and  from  that  date  until  the 
5th  of  June,  1 7 10,  a  period  of  twenty-eight  years,  the  king 
heard  mass  there.^  That  chapel  was  destined  to  play  a  more 
important  part  in  the  life  of  Versailles  than  its  predecessors. 
In  July,  1683,  the  queen  died,  and  in  the  following  June,  in 
that  third  chapel  royal  of  the  chateau,  the  King  of  France  was 
married  to  Franqoise  d'Aubigne,  Marquise  de  Maintenon, 
and  a  new  epoch  began  at  court. 

In  1698  the  king,  who  had  become  devout,  determined  to 
raise  that  monument  of  his  piety,  the  grand  chapel  of  Ver- 
sailles, which  we  see  to-day.  It  stands  to  the  north  of  the 
royal  court,  on  a  line  with  the  pavilion  of  Gabriel,  having 
between  it  and  that  pavilion  the  small  court  of  the  chapel. 

*  The   third    chapel    occupied   the    present   site   of  the 
salon  of  Hercules. 

54 


n 


The  Chapel 

The  chapel  has  two  vestibules;  the  one  on  the  ground  floor 
opens  into  the  colonnade  leading  to  the  garden  under  the 
salon  of  Hercules,  while  the  upper  vestibule  on  the  first  floor 
opens  into  that  salon,  which,  as  has  been  said,  was  constructed 
in  the  reign  of  Louis  XV.  Under  Louis  XIV  the  tribune 
of  the  third  chapel,  which  was  preserved  in  1710,  when  the 
third  chapel  was  destroyed,  served  as  a  passage  from  the  state 
apartments  of  the  king  to  the  upper  vestibule  of  the  new 
chapel. 

The  king's  first  idea  was  to  have  a  building  entirely  of 
marble,  but  on  reflection  he  decided  that  such  a  building 
would  be  too  cold  and  damp,  and  although  the  works  were 
under  way  he  stopped  them  in  March,  1699,  and  demolished 
what  had  been  begun  in  order  to  build  anew,  this  time  in  cut 
stone,  the  whitest  and  finest  that  could  be  found.  Mansart 
was  then  the  king's  first  architect,  and  drew  the  designs  for 
the  edifice,  taking  some  parts  of  his  plan  from  the  Sainte  Cha- 
pelle  in  Paris,  though  the  work  was  finally  completed  by  Rob- 
ert de  Cotte.  The  exterior,  with  its  statues  and  bas-reliefs 
and  richly  ornamented  roof,  is  so  handsome  that  the  chapel 
deserves  a  site  less  shut  in  by  the  other  buildings  of  the 
chateau,  in  order  that  it  might  be  seen  to  greater  advantage. 

The  decoration  of  the  interior  is  magnificent.  Above  the 
marble  arcades  at  either  side  of  the  nave  rise  the  lofty  white 
Corinthian  columns  which  support  the  roof.  Between  the 
bases  of  the  columns  runs  a  gilded  balustrade,  and  the  arcades 
are  covered  with  sculptured  bas-reliefs.  The  large  paintings 
on  the  ceiling,  striking  in  conception  and  gorgeous  in  color- 
ing, are  the  work  of  Jouvenet,  of  Coypel,  and  of  Delafosse, 
and  represent  the  Descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  God  in  Glory, 
and  the  Resurrection.  The  compartments  of  the  ceilings  to 
the  right  and  left  above  the  tribunes  were  painted  by  Bou- 
logne the  younger;  and  the  royal  cipher  and  the  arms  of 
France  which  adorn  the  windows  are  the  work  of  Michu. 

55 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

The  altar,  raised  on  three  steps,  is  of  marble  and  gilded 
bronze,  decorated  with  bronze  statues,  and  surmounted  by  a 
heavenly  Glory,  carved  by  Van  Cleve.  The  royal  tribune, 
which  opens  into  the  upper  vestibule,  faces  the  altar  and  fills 
the  width  of  the  nave.  The  circular  parts  at  the  sides  sup- 
ported formerly  two  lantern-towers  of  glass  and  gilded  wood, 
which  served  as  oratories  for  the  king  and  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon,  that  of  the  king  being  on  the  left,  and  Madame  de 
Maintenon's  on  the  right. 

By  the  present  regulations  of  the  palace  museum,  the  in- 
terior of  the  chapel  must  be  viewed  from  the  upper  vestibule 
behind  the  royal  tribune,  for  admission  to  the  ground  floor  is 
to  be  obtained  only  through  a  special  permit ;  but  it  is  worth 
while  to  take  the  trouble  to  secure  such  a  permit  that  one  may 
examine  the  carvings  and  bronzes  at  close  range,  and  turning 
see,  as  the  courtiers  saw  it,  the  splendid  tribune  of  the  king. 
There,  behind  his  gilded  balustrade  covered  with  red  velvet, 
he  sat  and  knelt,  the  cynosure  of  every  eye.  "  Whoever," 
says  La  Bruyere,  "  considers  that  the  king's  countenance  is 
the  courtier's  supreme  felicity,  that  he  passes  his  life  looking 
on  it  and  within  sight  of  it,  will  comprehend  to  some  extent 
how  to  see  God  constitutes  the  glory  and  happiness  of  the 
saints."  Yet  the  glittering  throng  that  filled  this  stately  edi- 
fice, gazing  not  at  the  altar,  but  at  the  royal  tribune,  heard 
plain  language.  Bourdaloue  preached  here  his  famous  ser- 
mon on  hypocrisy,  and  Pere  Soanen  spoke  his  mind  on  luxury 
and  vice  with  such  severity  that  Louis  called  the  sermon  "  a 
trumpet-blast  from  heaven."  Above  all,  they  had  Massillon, 
to  whom  the  king  made  this  remark :  "  My  father,  I  have 
heard  other  preachers  and  have  been  well  pleased  with  them, 
but  when  I  hear  you  I  am  much  dissatisfied  with  myself."  ^ 

On  the  5th  of  June,  17 10,  the  Cardinal  de  Noailles,  Arch- 
bishop of  Paris,  blessed  the  new  chapel  of  Versailles,  and  on 
^Dussieux,  II,  p.  no. 
56 


Interior  i>t  the  Lluipcl 


The  Chapel 

the  7th  of  June  the  king  and  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
made  their  devotions  there  for  the  first  time.  In  this  fourth 
and  final  chapel,  which  he  had  been  ten  years  in  building,  the 
Grand  Monarch  heard  mass  during  the  remaining  five  years 
of  his  life.^ 

^  The  principal  preachers  who  de-  court    on    the     ist    of    November, 

livered  sermons  before  the  king  in  1699;      Maure      (1700);      Bonneau 

the   old  chapel   of  Versailles   were  (1701)  ;   Lombard    (1703).     In  the 

Bourdaloue   (1684,  1686,  1689,  1691,  new     chapel:      Quinquet      (1711)  ; 

1693,  1697)  ;  Soanen  of  the  Oratory  Canappeville  (1712)  ;    Eon    (1713)  ; 

(1686,    1688,    1695),    an    orator    of  Poncet  de  la  Riviere    (1715),  who 

rare  eloquence  and  great  severity ;  was    the    last    preacher    heard    by 

Gaillard,     a     Jesuit      (1688,     1690,  Louis  XIV.     Bossuet  preached  be- 

1698)  ;   Massillon,  the  great  orator  fore  the  king  from  1662  to  1669  at 

of    the    end    of    the     reign,     who  the  Louvre  and  at  St.  Germain,  but 

preached     for    the     first    time     at  never   at   Versailles. 


57 


XIII 
THE  GRAND  COMMUN 

THE  Grand  Commun,  a  large  square  brick  building, 
constructed  about  an  interior  court,  stands  on  the 
Rue  de  la  Surintendance,  opposite  the  south  wing 
of  the  chateau,  and  is  used  at  present  as  a  military 
hospital.  Erected  by  Mansart  from  1682  to  1685,  ^t  con- 
tained under  Louis  XIV  the  royal  kitchens,  and  the  lodgings 
of  the  people  connected  with  the  service  of  the  king's  table, 
or,  as  they  called  it  then,  the  Boiiche  du  Roi.  This  service, 
one  of  the  eleven  grand  services  affecting  the  person  of  the 
king,  will  be  given  now  in  detail. 

Under  Louis  XIV  the  Grand  Commun  had  thirty-two 
apartments  on  the  first  floor,  and  thirty-four  on  the  second, 
for  the  various  officers  of  the  Maison  du  Roi,  and  in  addition 
a  large  number  of  lodgings  for  the  people  of  the  service,  in 
all  about  1000  rooms  with  not  less  than  1500  inhabitants. 
At  the  head  of  the  service  was  the  grand  master  of  the 
Maison  du  Roi.  Then  came  the  four  chief  officers :  the  premier 
maltre  d'hotel,  assisted  by  twelve  maitres  d'hotel,  serving  by 
the  quarter,  that  is,  one  week  in  each  month,  and  carrying 
when  on  duty,  as  the  sign  of  their  authority,  a  baton  of  silver- 
gilt;  the  grand  pantler;  the  grand  cup-bearer;  the  grand 
carver.  The  last  three  officials  appeared  only  at  certain 
great  ceremonies,  at  a  coronation  for  example;  ordinarily 
their  functions  were  performed  by  thirty-six  gentlemen  ser- 
vants of  the  king,  serving  by  the  quarter.     The  service  was 

58 


«.„  ,.,rm.«.o»  <./  «rn..»,    Of »..,.!  i  <„. 


Jules  Hardouin  ]\Iansart 


The  Grand  Commun 


divided  into  seven  offices,  charged  with  the  preparation  of 
the  food  and  drink  for  the  tables  of  the  king  and  queen  and 
of  the  princes  of  the  blood,  and  was  composed  as  follows : 
the  Goblet  of  the  King,  divided  into  the  Pantry  and  the  Wine- 
cellars  ;  the  King's  Food,  or  Kitchen  Food,  intended  only  for 
the  king  himself;  the  Pantry-ordinary;  the  Wine-cellars- 
ordinary;  the  Kitchen-ordinary;  the  Fruit-loft;  the  Quarter- 
master's Department.  According  to  the  Etat  de  la  France  de 
1712,  the  seven  offices  employed  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  persons:  butlers, controllers, head  cooks  and  under-cooks, 
cup-bearers,  carvers,  plate-changers,  table-setters,  chair-bear- 
ers, equerries,  scullions,  turnspits,  cellarers,  common  garden- 
ers and  salad  gardeners,  porters,  laundry  servants,  etc. 

The  officers  of  the  Pantry  had  charge  of  the  table-linen,  the 
bread  and  the  fruit,  and  each  morning  it  was  the  duty  of  the 
chief  of  the  Pantry  to  bring  the  king's  breakfast,  bread  or 
bouillon,  to  the  royal  bedchamber.  The  officers  of  the  Wine- 
cellars  looked  after  the  wine  and  water.  "  Every  day,  before 
the  lever  of  the  king,  two  chiefs  of  the  Goblet,  one  of  the 
Pantry,  the  other  of  the  Wine-cellars,  carry  into  the  king's 
cabinet  some  bread,  two  bottles  of  wine,  two  bottles  of  water, 
two  napkins,  and  some  ice,  which  they  place  in  His  Majesty's 
bottle-case,  that  stands  in  the  cabinet,  in  case  His  Majesty 
wishes  to  drink  promptly.  These  officers  of  the  Goblet  should 
make  the  trial,^  in  the  presence  of  the  first  valet  de  chamhre, 
of  all  that  they  bring."  ^  The  officers  of  the  Goblet  appeared 
at  all  the  king's  meals,  and  also  at  the  collations  served  when 
the  king  returned  from  the  chase.  If  he  was  at  the  Council, 
or  was  occupied  in  some  other  manner,  and  desired  to  drink, 
it  was  their  business  to  bring  water  or  wine.     They  assisted, 

*  The    trial    (essai),    that    is,    the  tain  portion  in  a  separate  dish  or 

tasting,     as    a    precaution    against  glass     was     always     brought     for 

poison,    was    required    by    custom  the   cssai. 

whenever   any   food   or    drink   was  *  Dussieux,  II,  p.  149. 
served    to    the    king,    and    a    cer- 


59 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

too,  at  the  king's  communions  in  the  chapel  and  presented  the 
napkins.  To  the  service  of  the  Goblet  were  attached,  also, 
such  people  as  the  wine-porter  and  the  pack-horse-porter. 
Their  duties  were  as  follows :  "  The  wine-porter  is  to  bring 
to  the  chase,  or  wherever  the  king  may  have  gone,  the  col- 
lation of  His  Majesty.  This  collation  is  placed  in  a  basket 
of  red  cloth,  bordered  with  gold,  and  having  on  two  sides 
the  arms  of  the  king.  It  consists  of  bread,  biscuits,  fruit, 
pastry,  napkins,  wine  and  water  in  two  silver  flagons,  and  a 
portion  of  all  for  the  trial.  The  pack-horse-porter  carries 
on  campaign,  on  a  pack-horse,  table-linen,  knives,  salt,  bread, 
fruit,  sweetmeats,  a  cup  for  the  king  and  another  for  the 
trial,  for  fear  that  the  wagons  and  pack-horses,  ordered  for 
the  purpose,  may  not  arrive  in  time."  ^ 

The  Kitchen  prepared  the  king's  food.  The  chief  of  the 
service  was  the  Kitchen  equerry,  under  whom  were  the  head 
cook,  who  had  charge  of  the  entrees,  another  cook  (hdteur), 
who  had  charge  of  the  roast  meats,  and  the  head  gardener, 
who  managed  the  kitchen-gardens.  These  were  the  principal 
officers,  but  the  service  employed  many  people.  llere  are 
some  of  the  duties  of  the  subordinates  :  "  The  kitchen  boys  are 
obliged  to  cut  the  meats.  In  the  evening  the  gardener  gives 
them  the  meat  for  the  king's  broth.  They  cook  it  at  night, 
and  in  the  morning  the  gardener,  taking  it  from  them,  makes 
the  broth,  which  he  places  in  the  hands  of  the  equerry,  on 
duty  for  the  day,  to  serve  to  His  Majesty.  The  porters 
bring  wood  and  water  and  supply  charcoal.  They  provide 
also  the  kitchen  utensils  and  keep  them  in  good  order.  They 
are  obliged  to  go  to  the  Quartermaster's  Department  for 
wood  to  warm  the  water  at  night  for  the  king's  broth,  and  to 
sleep  on  guard,  as  well  as  the  kitchen  boys,  to  guard  the  broth. 
The  pack-horse  ^  of  the  kitchen  carries  the  King's  Meat  on 

^Dussieux,  II,  p.  150. 

^  That  is  to  say,  the  porter  of  the  pack-horse. 

60 


The  Grand  Commun 


a  journey ;  the  pack-horse  of  the  chase  carries  the  cold  meats 
for  the  king.  The  monitor  follows  the  king  on  a  journey, 
and  gives  notice  to  the  cooks  when  the  king  arrives,  and  the 
hour  at  which  he  wishes  to  dine  or  sup."  ^ 

The  Fruit-loft  had  the  service  of  the  fruit  for  the  king's 
table,  but  in  addition  it  furnished  the  wax  candles  for  the 
chandeliers  and  candlesticks  in  the  chateau,  the  torches  car- 
ried by  the  valets,  and  the  palms  for  Palm  Sunday. 

The  Quartermaster's  Department  supplied  all  the  fire- 
wood and  charcoal  burned  in  the  chateau.  The  officers 
of  that  service  made  the  fire  in  the  king's  bedchamber  before 
His  Majesty  rose  in  the  morning,  and  it  was  their  business 
to  make  and  keep  up  the  fires  in  the  royal  apartments  during 
the  day.  But  in  spite  of  all  that  the  service  could  do,  those 
vast  salons,  with  nothing  save  open  fireplaces  to  heat  them, 
were  cold  in  winter. 

The  other  three  services — that  is  to  say,  the  Pantry-ordi- 
nary, Wine-cellars-ordinary,  and  Kitchen-ordinary — furnished 
food  and  drink  to  all  the  officers  of  the  Maison  du  Roi  who 
had  the  right  to  eat  at  court,  or,  as  it  was  called  then,  hoitche 
a  cour.  At  the  Grand  Commun  the  queen  had  her  seven 
offices  also,  like  those  of  the  king ;  the  dauphin  had  as  many, 
and  the  dauphine  likewise.  All  this  complicated  administra- 
tion was  regulated  by  the  Bureau  du  Roi,  composed  of  the 
king's  premier  maitre  d'hotel,  other  maitres  d'hotel  serving  by 
the  quarter,  the  masters  of  the  Money-chamber,  and  the  con- 
troller of  the  Kitchen.  They  received  the  funds  for  the  ex- 
penses of  the  Grand  Commun  and  paid  the  various  officers. 
It  was  the  business  of  the  controller  to  receive  the  meats  and 
fish,  and  to  examine  all  the  accounts  of  the  Goblet  and  the 
Kitchen. 

The  following  details  from  the  Etat  de  la  France  de  iyi2 
show  how  the  king's  dinner  was  served  when  he  dined  in 
*Dussieux,  II,  p.  151. 
61 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

public :  "  The  usher  of  the  hall,  having  received  the  order 
for  the  king's  cover/  goes  to  the  Hall  of  the  Guards,  strikes 
with  his  wand  upon  the  door  of  their  hall,  and  cries  aloud, 
'  Messieurs,  au  convert  du  Roi! ' ;  then  with  a  guard  he  re- 
turns to  the  Goblet.  After  that  the  chief  of  the  Goblet  brings 
the  nef,^  while  the  other  officers  carry  the  remaining  articles 
which  compose  the  cover.  The  body-guard  and  the  usher 
march  near  the  nef,  carrying  two  table-cloths,  and  the  usher 
of  the  hall  marches  before  them,  holding  his  wand,  and  in 
the  evening  a  torch  also.  When  they  have  reached  the  place 
where  the  trial  table  is  prepared,  the  usher  of  the  hall  un- 
folds one  of  the  table-cloths,  and  the  usher  and  the  chief 
of  the  Goblet,  each  holding  an  end  of  the  cloth,  throw  it 
adroitly  over  the  trial  table.  The  officers  of  the  Goblet  place 
the  nef  and  prepare  the  rest  of  the  cover.  Then  the  gen- 
tleman servant  on  duty  for  the  trial  makes  ready  the  trial, 
for  the  chief  of  the  Goblet,  of  the  bread  and  salt  of  the  king ; 
he  also  makes  the  trial  of  the  napkins  which  are  in  the  nef, 
and  of  the  spoons,  forks,  knives,  and  tooth-picks  of  His 
Majesty,  which  are  in  the  cadenas,  and  prepares  the  trial  of 
them  for  the  chief  of  the  Goblet.  Having  done  this,  the  gen- 
tleman servant  takes  possession  of  the  trial  table  and  contin- 
ues to  guard  it. 

"  The  trial  having  been  made,  the  officers  of  the  Goblet 
go  to  the  table  where  the  king  dines  and  cover  it  with  a  table- 
cloth. Upon  this  cloth  the  gentlemen  servants  spread  a  large 
napkin,  one  half  of  which  hangs  below  the  top  of  the  table 
in  front  of  His  Majesty's  chair,  and  on  the  napkin  they  place 
the  king's  cover — his  plate,  his  bread  and  salt,  the  cadenas 

*  By  the  cover  {convert)  was  salt-cellars,  the  napkins,  between 
meant  the  dressing  of  the  table,  the  scented  cushions,  and  the  carving- 
king's  bread  and  salt,  his  plate,  knives.  In  passing  the  nef  all  per- 
glass  and  cup,  knife,  spoon,  fork,  sons  saluted  it,  as  they  did  the 
etc.  king's   bed.      When   not   in   service 

'  The    nef    was    of    gold    in    the  it  was  kept  on  the  chimneypiece  of 

form  of  a  ship,  and  contained  the  the  cabinet  of  Medals. 

62 


The  Grand  Commun 


containing  his  knife,  fork,  and  spoon,  and  his  napkin  folded. 
One  of  the  gentlemen  servants  then  draws  over  all  the  half 
of  the  large  napkin  that  hangs  below^  the  table,  and  places 
the  serving-plates,  and  the  spoons  and  forks,  wrapped  in  a 
napkin  between  two  plates  of  gold,  which  will  be  required 
in  the  service.  Having  done  this,  he  remains  beside  the 
table  to  guard  the  king's  cover. 

"  Meanwhile  the  usher  of  the  hall,  who  has  returned 
to  the  Hall  of  the  Guards,  strikes  with  his  wand  against  their 
door,  and  cries  loudly,  '  Messieurs,  a  la  Viande  du  Roi! ' 
He  goes  then  to  the  office  of  the  Kitchen,  where  he  finds  the 
maitre  d'hotel  on  duty,  a  gentleman  servant,  and  the  con- 
troller." 1 

In  such  fashion  the  table  was  made  ready  for  the  King's 
Meat  {Viande  du  Roi),  but  to  reach  the  royal  table  the  king's 
dinner,  on  leaving  the  Grand  Commun,  had  to  cross  the  Rue 
de  la  Surintendance,  enter  the  south  wing  of  the  chateau  by 
the  door  opposite  the  Grand  Commun,  ascend  a  staircase,^ 
pass  through  several  corridors,  cross  the  upper  vestibule  of 
the  staircase  of  the  princes,  the  salon  of  the  Shopkeepers,  the 
Grand  Hall  of  the  Guards,  the  upper  vestibule  of  the  marble 
staircase,  and  finally  the  Hall  of  the  King's  Guards,  in  order 
to  reach  the  first  antechamber,  where,  as  has  been  said,  the 
king  dined  in  public  when  he  dined  thus  in  his  own  apart- 
ments; when  he  dined  in  public  with  the  queen  the  pere- 
grinations of  the  dinner  were  the  same  to  the  Grand  Hall 
of  the  Guards,  from  which  it  was  carried  through  the  Hall 
of  the  Queen's  Guards  to  her  antechamber.  In  view  of  these 
facts,  it  is  not  surprising  that  a  large  number  of  persons  were 
required  in  the  service  of  the  Bouche.  The  manner  in  which 
the  King's  Meat  came  to  table  was  regulated  by  the  Ordon- 
nances  de  la  Maison  du  Roi  as  follows : 

^  Dussieux,  II,  pp.  138-139. 

'  This  staircase  was  destroyed  by  Louis  Philippe. 


63 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

"  The  Meat  of  His  Majesty  will  be  carried  in  this  order : 
Two  of  his  guards  will  march  first,  followed  by  the  usher  of 
the  hall,  the  maitre  d'hotel  with  his  baton,  the  gentleman  ser- 
vant of  the  Pantry,  the  controller-general,  the  controller 
clerk  of  the  office,  and  others  who  carry  the  Meat,  the  equerry 
of  the  Kitchen  and  the  guard  of  the  plates  and  dishes,  and 
behind  them  two  other  guards  of  His  Majesty,  who  are  to 
allow  no  one  to  approach  the  Meat. 

"  In  the  office  called  the  Bouche,  the  equerry  of  the  Kitchen 
arranges  the  dishes  upon  a  table,  and  presents  two  trials  of 
bread  to  the  maitre  d'hotel,  who  makes  the  trial  of  the  first 
course,  and  who,  having  placed  the  meats  for  the  trial  upon 
these  two  trials  of  bread,  gives  one  to  the  equerry  of  the 
Kitchen,  who  eats  it,  while  the  other  is  eaten  by  the  maitre 
d'hotel.  Afterward  the  gentleman  servant  takes  the  first 
dish,  the  second  is  taken  by  the  controller,  and  the  other 
officers  of  the  Kitchen  take  the  rest.  They  advance  in  this 
order;  the  maitre  d'hotel,  having  his  baton,  marches  at  the 
head,  preceded  some  steps  by  the  usher  of  the  hall,  carrying 
his  wand,  which  is  the  sign  of  his  office,  and  in  the  evening 
bearing  a  torch  as  well.  When  the  Meat,  accompanied  by 
three  of  the  body-guards  with  carbines  on  their  shoulders, 
has  arrived,^  the  maitre  d'hotel  makes  a  reverence  to  the 
nef.  The  gentleman  servant,  holding  the  first  dish,  places 
it  upon  the  table  where  the  nef  is,  and  having  received  a  trial 
portion  from  the  gentleman  servant  in  charge  of  the  trial 
table,  he  makes  the  trial  himself  and  places  his  dish  upon  the 
trial  table.  The  gentleman  servant  having  charge  of  this 
table  takes  the  other  dishes  from  the  hands  of  those  who 
carry  them,  and  places  them  also  on  the  trial  table.  After 
the  trial  of  them  has  been  made  they  are  carried  by  the  other 
gentlemen  servants  to  the  table  of  the  king. 

"  The  first  course  being  upon  the  table,  the  maitre  d'hotel 

*  That  is,  in  the  first  antechamber,  where  the  king  is  to  dine. 

64 


The  Grand  Commun 


with  his  baton,  preceded  by  the  usher  of  the  hall  with  his 
wand,  goes  to  inform  the  king;  and  when  His  Majesty  has 
arrived  at  table  the  maitre  d'hotel  presents  a  wet  napkin  to 
him,  of  which  trial  has  been  made  in  the  presence  of  the 
officer  of  the  Goblet,  and  takes  it  again  from  the  king's  hands. 
During  the  dinner  the  gentleman  servant  in  charge  of  the 
trial  table  continues  to  make  trial  in  the  presence  of  the 
officers  of  the  Goblet  and  of  the  Kitchen  of  all  that  they 
bring  for  each  course. 

"  When  His  Majesty  desires  to  drink,  the  cup-bearer  cries 
at  once  in  a  loud  tone,  '  The  drink  for  the  king ! '  makes  a 
reverence  to  the  king,  and  goes  to  the  sideboard  to  take  from 
the  hands  of  the  chief  of  the  Wine-cellars  the  salver  and 
cup  of  gold,  and  the  two  crystal  decanters  of  wine  and  water. 
He  returns,  preceded  by  the  chiefs  of  the  Goblet  and  the 
Wine-cellars,  and  the  three,  having  reached  the  king's  table, 
make  a  reverence  to  His  Majesty.  The  chief  of  the  Goblet, 
standing  near  the  king,  holds  a  little  trial  cup  of  silver-gilt, 
into  which  a  gentleman  servant  pours  a  small  quantity  of 
wine  and  water  from  the  decanters.  A  portion  of  this  the 
chief  of  the  Goblet  pours  into  a  second  trial  cup  which  is 
presented  by  his  assistant,  who,  in  turn,  hands  it  to  the 
gentleman  servant.  The  chief  and  the  gentleman  servant 
make  the  trial,  and  when  the  latter  has  handed  his  cup  to  the 
chief,  that  officer  returns  both  cups  to  his  assistant.  When  the 
trial  has  been  made  in  this  manner  in  the  king's  sight,  the 
gentleman  servant,  making  a  reverence  to  the  king,  presents 
to  His  Majesty  the  cup  of  gold  and  the  golden  salver  on 
which  are  the  decanters.  The  king  pours  out  the  wine  and 
water,  and  having  drunk,  replaces  the  cup  upon  the  salver. 
The  gentleman  servant  makes  another  reverence  to  the  king, 
and  returns  the  salver  and  all  upon  it  to  the  chief  of  the 
Wine-cellars,  who  carries  it  to  the  sideboard. 

"  The  carver,  having  taken  his  place  before  the  table  of 

65 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 


the  king,  presents  and  uncovers  all  the  dishes,  and  when  His 
Majesty  tells  him  to  do  so  or  makes  him  a  sign,  he  removes 
them,  handing  them  to  the  plate-changer  ^  or  to  his  assis- 
tants. He  changes  the  king's  plate  and  napkin  ^  from  time 
to  time,  and  cuts  the  meats  when  the  king  does  not  cut  them 
himself."  3 

In  such  fashion  the  Grand  Monarch  dined  in  public.  The 
ushers  had  orders  to  admit  all  well-dressed  persons,  and 
during  the  meal  a  steady  stream  of  people  passed  slowly 
through  the  antechamber  where  the  sovereign  ate.  These 
public  dinners,  however,  did  not  occur  frequently.  The  king 
usually  dined  alone  in  his  bedchamber,  but  he  supped  every 
evening  au  grand  convert  in  his  antechamber  with  his  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren. 


^AU  the  dishes  of  the  king's  des- 
sert which  remained  untouched  be- 
longed to  the  plate-changer,  and 
were  sent  to  his  office,  called  ser- 
deau,  where  they  reappeared  at  the 
dinners  of  the  gentlemen  servants, 
or  at  those  of  their  valets.  Some 
dishes,  also,  were  sold  by  the  valets 


of  the  serdeau  to  bourgeois  fam- 
ilies in  Versailles. 

'  The  napkins  were  kept  in  the 
nef,  and  at  such  times  it  was  the 
king's  almoner  who  opened  and 
closed   the  nef. 

'  Dussieux,  II,  pp.   139-141. 


66 


XIV 

THE  KING'S   STABLES 

TO-DAY,  disfigured  and  turned  into  barracks,  the 
king's  stables  are  but  the  ghosts  of  what  they  were. 
The  Little  Stables  are  occupied  by  a  corps  of  en- 
gineers, and  the  Great  Stables  by  a  school  of  artil- 
lery; the  courtyard  of  the  latter  is  full  of  artillery  wagons, 
and  behind  it  rises  the  hideous  brick  chimney  of  an  adjoining 
manufactory.  Of  the  crowd  of  travelers  hurrying  each  day 
across  the  Place  d'Armes,  eager  to  see  the  great  chateau  and 
the  "  glories  of  France "  before  taking  an  early  train  for 
Paris,  probably  not  one  in  fifty  gives  these  buildings  a  glance. 
Their  glory  has  departed  for  good  and  all ;  yet  they  were  once 
very  splendid, — so  splendid  that  Louis  XIV  took  pleasure 
in  showing  them  to  his  guests. 

Erected  by  Mansart  from  1679  to  1682,  the  stables  stand 
between  the  three  stately  avenues  that  end  in  the  Place 
d'Armes.  Viewed  from  the  entrance  to  the  courtyards  of  the 
chateau,  the  Great  Stables  and  the  Avenue  de  St,  Cloud  are 
on  the  left,  and  the  Little  Stables  and  the  Avenue  de  Sceaux 
upon  the  right,  while  between  the  stables  the  spacious  Avenue 
de  Paris,  with  its  double  row  of  trees  on  either  side,  stretches 
to  the  east.  The  buildings  are  of  equal  size,  and  each  had 
five  courtyards,  four  behind  and  one  in  front.  The  court- 
yards in  front  are  much  larger  than  the  others  and  are  sep- 
arated from  the  Place  d'Armes  by  gilded  railings,^  and  the 

*  The  present  railings  date  from  the  Restoration.    The  original  railings, 
decorated  with  gilded  trophies,  were  very  beautiful. 

67 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

buildings  about  them  are  in  the  form  of  a  half-circle  in  the 
center,  flanked  by  wings  with  pavilions.  Let  us  examine  the 
service  of  the  Stables  as  it  existed  under  Louis  XIV. 

The  Stables  and  the  royal  stud  of  St.  Leger  were  in  charge 
of  the  grand  equerry  of  France,  who  was  called,  for  short, 
Monsieur  le  Grand.  He  had  under  his  orders  the  first  equerry 
of  the  Great  Stables,  three  equerries  ordinary,  the  gentlemen 
of  the  horse,  the  state  sword-bearers,  thirty  heralds  at  arms, 
pursuivants  at  arms,  train-bearers  and  cloak-bearers,  forty- 
six  pages  with  their  governor  and  tutor,  forty-six  foot-valets, 
eight  quartermasters,  numberless  grooms,  coachmen,  and  far- 
riers, twelve  trumpeters,  twelve  hautboys,  eight  fife-players, 
drums,  cornets,  couriers,  tailors,  saddlers,  harness-makers, 
doctors,  veterinary  surgeons,  kitchen  officials,  laundry  ser- 
vants, etc.  The  grand  equerry  regulated  all  the  expenses 
of  the  Great  Stables,  and  received  the  oath  of  all  the  persons 
who  served  under  him.  When  the  king  made  a  state  entry 
into  a  town  the  grand  equerry  rode  before  the  sovereign, 
carrying  the  royal  sword  in  a  scabbard  of  blue  velvet.  At 
the  death  of  the  king  all  the  horses  of  the  Stable  and  of  the 
stud  became  the  property  of  the  grand  equerry.  Under  Louis 
XIV  the  Great  Stables  held  three  hundred  horses,  the  saddle- 
horses  of  the  king,  of  the  princes  of  the  blood,  and  of  the 
couriers. 

The  first  equerry,  called  for  short  Monsieur  le  Premier, 
commanded  the  Little  Stables,  which  contained  the  carriages, 
the  caleches,  the  sedan-chairs,  and  the  wheel-chairs  for  the 
park.  Attached  to  the  service  of  these  stables  were  three 
equerries,  thirty-two  pages,  fifteen  foot-valets,  twenty  equer- 
ries who  followed  the  king  to  the  war  or  the  chase  when 
he  went  in  a  coach,  and  many  grooms,  coachmen,  postilions, 
and  porters.  The  carriage-horses  were  kept  at  the  Little 
Stables,  and  in  1712  the  king  had  there  twenty-five  beautiful 
teams  of  ten  horses  each.     Monsieur  le  Premier  quarreled 

68 


The  King's  Stables 


continually  with  Monsieur  le  Grand,  who  considered  that 
in  virtue  of  his  office  he  had  the  right  to  give  orders  at  the 
Little  Stables  as  well  as  at  the  Great. 

In  December,  1682,  the  king,  accompanied  by  Monseigneur, 
visited  his  new  stables,  which  had  just  been  completed,  and 
was  well  pleased  with  them ;  beyond  that,  no  details  are  given. 
But  in  1686,  in  connection  with  the  visit  of  the  ambassadors 
of  Siam  to  the  royal  stables,  the  Mercure  Galant  gives  the 
following  description :  "  The  ambassadors  entered  the  Little 
Stables  by  the  gate  of  the  railing  of  the  Place  Royale,  and 
were  received  at  the  door  of  the  Stables  by  M.  le  Marquis  de 
Beringhen,^  the  first  equerry  of  the  king.  He  was  attended 
by  M.  de  Cabanac  and  two  other  equerries,  by  the  governor 
of  the  pages,  and  by  many  nobles,  the  others  being  at  the 
chase  with  Monseigneur.  There  were  also  many  foot-valets 
and  a  very  large  number  of  people  in  livery. 

"  After  the  ambassadors  and  M.  de  Beringhen  had  saluted 
one  another  and  the  usual  compliments  had  been  made,  they 
entered  the  Stables  in  two  ranks,  and  the  ambassadors  were 
first  shown  five  teams  of  ten  horses  each,  among  which  they 
remarked  the  black  horses  of  Spain,  the  bays  of  Brandebourg, 
which  the  Elector  of  Brandebourg  had  presented  to  the  king, 
the  dappled  grays,  very  noble  animals  from  the  stud  of  the 
Comte  d'Oldenbourg,  the  spotted  horses  of  Poland,  and 
others  with  rare  and  beautiful  skins.  All  were  in  white 
bridles  adorned  with  red  ribbons,  and  the  ambassadors  ad- 
mired not  only  their  bearing  and  spirit,  but  even  more  the 
beauty  of  their  skins.  Passing  then  to  the  stalls  of  the  saddle- 
horses  of  Monseigneur,  the  ambassadors  found  a  large  number 
of  very  handsome  horses,  both  of  France  and  of  England. 
These,  like  the  carriage-horses,  wore  white  bridles  adorned 
with  red  ribbons. 

"  The  ambassadors  were  taken  afterward  to  the  saddle- 

^  Pronounced  Belingan. 
69 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

room  of  Monseigneur,  which  contains  five  large  cases  filled 
with  saddles  and  harness.  In  the  center  case  are  lances, 
darts,  bridles  of  silver  and  silver-gilt,  and  everything  that  is 
most  rich  in  harness  of  this  sort.  The  other  cases  contain 
housings,  holsters,  crupper-cloths,  French  saddles  enriched 
with  all  kinds  of  embroidery,  English  saddles,  and  many 
very  splendid  housings  used  at  the  promenades  with  the 
ladies.  Around  the  room  stand  triangular  saddle-posts  on 
which  the  saddles  of  Monseigneur's  riding-horses  are  always 
ready,  and  above  them  are  pegs  with  the  bridles  and  the 
names  of  the  horses  to  which  the  saddles  and  bridles  belong. 
There  is  also  another  saddle-room  for  the  horses  of  the  suite. 

"  The  ambassadors  were  then  taken  to  view  the  teams 
which  they  had  not  already  seen,  and  found  all  the  stalls 
filled  with  very  handsome  horses  whose  size  and  height  sur- 
prised them.  They  measured  some,  particularly  those  com- 
posing the  team  used  at  the  state  entry  of  an  ambassador, 
with  a  magnificent  carriage,  painted  and  gilded,  and  lined 
with  crimson  velvet  bordered  with  gold.  The  team  for  this 
carriage  is  composed  of  twelve  horses.  They  measured 
others  also,  and  found  them  very  large  and  beautiful,  espe- 
cially the  dappled  gray  horses  of  the  body-guards.  When 
they  had  seen  all  the  teams,  they  were  shown  the  riding- 
horses  of  His  Majesty,  all  in  bridles  adorned  with  red  rib- 
bons, forty-eight  in  number,  and  for  the  most  part  horses  of 
France  and  of  England. 

"  The  ambassadors  were  shown  next  the  king's  saddle- 
room,  which  is  large  and  very  beautiful,  and  contains  a  quan- 
tity of  cases  filled  with  splendid  housings  and  saddles;  one 
saddle  especially  of  violet  velvet  embroidered  with  gold 
aroused  their  admiration.  There  are  saddle-posts  here,  as 
in  the  saddle-room  of  Monseigneur,  and  a  large  number  of 
bridles  adorned  with  silver  or  with  silver-gilt.  In 
addition,  they  were  taken  to  see  the  other  saddle-rooms 

70 


The  King's  Stables 


which  contain  the  trappings  of  the  horses  of  the  officers  of 
the  king. 

"  They  counted  more  than  six  hundred  horses  at  the  Little 
Stables.  The  number  of  carriages  and  caleches  is  in  propor- 
tion, and  all  very  rich.  They  are  for  the  king,  for  Monsei- 
gneur,  for  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne,  and  for  their  suite. 
The  state  carriage  of  His  Majesty  is  of  extraordinary  mag- 
nificence, and  the  harness  extremely  rich.  Among  the 
caleches  there  is  one  belonging  to  the  king  with  room  for 
sixteen  persons. 

"  On  the  same  day  the  ambassadors  visited  the  Great  Sta- 
bles. The  grand  equerry,  M.  le  Comte  de  Brionne,  received 
them  there,  accompanied  by  his  equerries,  under-equerries, 
the  governors  of  the  pages,  many  others  officers,  fifty  or 
sixty  foot-valets,  and  a  very  large  number  of  people  in 
livery.  The  ambassadors  were  the  more  surprised  to  see 
so  many  people  in  livery  since  they  had  already  seen  at  the 
Little  Stables  a  number  which  appeared  to  them  infinite. 
They  remarked  that  there  were  few  sovereigns  in  Europe 
who  could  boast  as  many  officials  in  their  entire  households 
as  the  King  of  France  had  in  his  stables  alone.  They  made 
the  tour  of  the  stables  and  saw  more  than  two  hundred  sad- 
dle-horses, decked  with  ribbons  like  those  of  the  Little  Sta- 
bles. Among  them  are  many  from  the  stud  of  the  King  of 
Spain,  and  others  from  Italy  and  Barbary,  which  His  Maj- 
esty has  for  his  own  use  in  time  of  war.  There  are  also  one 
hundred  very  fine  English  hunters  which  the  king  keeps  for 
the  chase.  The  ambassadors  were  shown  likewise  the  sad- 
dle-rooms. You  can  imagine  them.  They  are  the  king's,  and 
everything  belonging  to  that  monarch  is  magnificent,"  ^ 

Louis  XIV  was  delighted  to  show  his  stables.  On  the 
nth  of  July,  1691,  His  Majesty  brought  the  exiled  King  and 
Queen  of  England  to  see  them,  and  James  remarked  that  he 
*Dussieux,  II,  pp.  156-160, 

71 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

had  never  seen  so  many  beautiful  English  horses  together. 
In  1697  the  king  conducted  there  the  young  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne,  the  Papal  Nuncio,  and  many  ambassadors;  in 
1704  it  was  the  turn  of  the  Duke  of  Mantua.  The  riding- 
school  of  the  Great  Stables  was  the  scene  of  numerous  fetes, 
which  will  be  mentioned  in  a  chapter  devoted  to  that  subject. 
It  remains  now,  before  passing  to  the  kennels  and  the  hunt- 
ing-train, to  say  a  word  concerning  the  king's  pages. 


THE   PAGES 

The  pages  of  the  Chamber  and  those  of  the  two  Stables  be- 
longed to  the  nobility.  They  were  instructed  in  all  the  arts 
of  horsemanship,  in  the  manual  of  arms  and  in  military 
manoeuvers,  in  dancing  and  in  gymnastic  exercises.  They 
had  also  a  governor  and  tutors,  who  taught  them  in  mathe- 
matics, history,  and  geography.  The  duties  of  these  pages 
were  numerous.  They  followed  the  king  to  the  army  and 
were  attached  to  his  service  and  to  those  of  his  aides-de-camp. 
In  the  evening,  carrying  tapers  of  white  wax  or  torches,  they 
lighted  the  king's  path  in  the  palace  and  out  of  it.  The 
Etat  de  la  France  (1712)  furnishes  the  following  details: 

"  When  the  king  goes  to  shoot,  four  pages  of  the  Great 
Stables  are  sent  to  His  Majesty,  and  they  call  them  the  four 
ordinaries.  They  follow  the  king  and  take  charge  of  his 
dogs.  Six  pages  from  the  Little  Stables  follow  also.  If 
any  ladies  go  with  the  king,  pages  from  the  Great  Stables 
accompany  the  ladies.  The  six  pages  of  the  Little  Stables 
have  the  honor  of  carrying  His  Majesty's  guns,  and  the  game 
shot  by  the  king  is  frequently  distributed  among  them.  In 
other  hunts,  when  there  are  ladies  mounted  on  horses  from 
the  Little  Stables,  a  page  of  the  Little  Stables  accompanies 
each  lady. 

"  Whenever  the  king  drives  at  night  in  a  carriage  with 

72 


Equestrian  Statue  of  Louis  XIV  in  the  Royal  Courtyard,  Versailles 


The  King's  Stables 


six  or  eight  horses,  as  in  returning  from  Marly  to  Versailles, 
four  pages  of  the  Little  Stables  ride  in  front  of  and  beside 
the  carriage,  bearing  torches." 

The  pages  ^  were  picturesque  figures  in  the  life  of  the  court. 
These  young  sprigs  of  the  nobility,  graceful  and  gallant,  gor- 
geously appareled,  served  at  all  times  and  seasons,  at  the  hunts, 
at  the  fetes,  at  the  ceremonies,  at  the  collations  in  the  park, 
everywhere.  They  had  youth  and  hope  and  ambition;  they 
knew  the  etiquette  and  the  intrigues  of  their  world,  and  they 
made  their  way.  But  those  to  whom  fortune  granted  a 
partial  realization  of  their  dreams,  who  became  grand  sei- 
gneurs with  places  and  pensions,  and  flatterers  and  enemies, 
and  had  learned  in  the  process  the  vanity  and  inanity  of  the 
life,  must  have  looked  back  regretfully  at  times  to  those 
happy,  hopeful  days  of  yore,  when  as  royal  pages,  full  of 
the  joy  of  the  present  and  careless  of  all  else,  they  flung 
themselves  upon  their  spirited  horses  and  galloped  away  to 
the  king's  hunt. 

^  From  the  documents  preserved  Seine-et-Oise,  an  interesting  mono- 
at  the  National  Archives,  and  at  graph  could  be  written  upon  the 
the   Archives   of  the  prefecture   of   royal  pages. 


73 


XV 
THE  KENNELS  AND  THE  HUNTING-TRAIN 

THE  kennels  and  the  stables  for  the  equipages  of 
the  chase  were  on  the  Avenue  de  Paris  behind  the 
Great  Stables.  The  hotel  of  the  grand  huntsman, 
built  in  1670,  and  the  kennels,  constructed  in  1685, 
were  handsome  and  spacious  buildings,  but  they  exist  no 
longer.  Their  destruction,  however,  is  a  matter  of  small  mo- 
ment, for  the  brick  and  stone  which  housed  the  dogs  and 
equipages  are  not  needed  to  reconstruct  the  organization  of 
the  royal  hunting-train. 

Since  the  chase  held  the  first  rank  among  the  pleasures 
of  the  king,  the  service  of  the  hunting-train  occupied  a  very 
important  position  in  His  Majesty's  household.  At  the  head 
of  the  service  was  the  grand  huntsman  of  France,  for  many 
years  M.  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  and  later  the  Comte  de  Tou- 
louse. Then  came  the  captain-general  of  the  toils,  the  grand 
falconer,  and  the  grand  master  of  the  wolf-hounds.  The 
grand  huntsman  had  under  his  orders  16  lieutenants,  48 
gentlemen  of  the  hunt,  many  pages,  more  than  100  valets 
of  the  hounds,  and  many  whippers-in  and  farriers.  The  lace 
on  the  coats  of  all  the  officers  of  the  hunting-train  was  more 
or  less  rich,  according  to  their  rank. 

As  for  the  chase  itself,  it  was  composed  of  two  main 
divisions— namely,  the  hunting  and  the  shooting.  Under 
the  first  head  came  the  chase  of  the  stag,  which  held  the  chief 
place,  and  then  those  of  the  roebuck,  the  fallow-deer,  the  wild 

74 


The  Kennels  and  the  Hunting-Train 

boar,  the  wolf,  the  hare,  and  the  fox.  Under  the  second  head 
came  the  shooting  of  small  game,  divided  into  the  chase 
with  the  pointers,  the  chase  with  the  setters,  and  the  chase 
with  the  beagles.  Finally  there  was  the  falconry.  Each  one 
of  these  various  kinds  of  hunting  and  shooting  had  a  service 
of  its  own  and  particular  equipages.  The  equipages  for  the 
chase  of  the  stag  were  at  the  kennels,  but  those  for  the  chase 
of  the  wild  boar  were  kept  at  the  Hotel  du  Vautrait,  in  the 
Rue  du  Vautrait.  In  addition  the  wolf  hunting-train  of  the 
king  put  up  in  the  Rue  St.  Pierre,  while  in  the  Rue  du  Bel- 
Air  was  installed  the  wolf  hunting-train  of  Monseigneur. 

The  country  all  about  Paris  was  a  game  preserve,  and  the 
king  and  the  princes  hunted  in  the  woods  of  Versailles,  of 
Marly,  and  of  Meudon,  in  the  parks  of  those  chateaux,  in 
the  forests  of  St.  Germain,  of  Fontainebleau,  and  of  Vin- 
cennes,  in  the  plain  of  St.  Denis,  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  at 
Choisy,  at  Chantilly,  at  Compiegne,  at  Rambouillet,  at  St. 
Leger,  etc.  "  When  they  hunt  in  the  park  of  Versailles," 
says  the  Palatine,^  "  they  cross  neither  waste  lands  nor 
plowed  fields,  but  when  they  hunt  elsewhere  they  pass  fre- 
quently over  the  fields.  If  damage  is  done,  the  peasants  ask 
for  remuneration  in  writing.  An  estimate  is  made,  and  they 
pay  them." 

The  packs  of  hounds  were  numerous  while  M.  de  la  Roche- 
foucauld was  grand  huntsman,  but  were  increased  later  when 
the  Comte  de  Toulouse  had  replaced  him.  The  most  beau- 
tiful packs  were  those  of  the  king,  of  his  sons,  Monseigneur, 
the  Due  du  Maine,  and  the  Comte  de  Toulouse,  of  the  Che- 
valier de  Lorraine,  of  M.  de  Bouillon,  and  of  the  Due  de 
Vendome.  These  packs  together  numbered  more  than  a 
thousand  dogs. 

As  has  been  said,  the  grand  huntsman  of  France  was  at 
the  head  of  all  the  hunting-train.  The  duties  of  the  captain- 
*  Elizabeth-Charlotte,  Duchesse  d'Orleans. 

75 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

general  of  the  toils,  of  the  grand  master  of  the  wolf-hounds, 
and  of  the  grand  falconer  were  as  follows : 

The  captain-general  of  the  toils  had  under  his  orders  8 
lieutenants,  8  gentlemen  of  the  hunt,  4  whippers-in,  6  valets 
of  the  hounds,  8  guards  of  the  greyhounds,  20  archers,  16 
guards  of  the  toils,  15  hunters  and  rangers,  and  40  dogs. 
It  was  the  duty  of  the  captain-general  to  take  in  the  toils 
in  all  the  forests  of  France  stags,  deer,  boars,  foxes,  and 
other  animals  to  restock  the  parks  of  the  royal  palaces.  He 
had  also  the  general  direction  of  the  chase  of  the  wild  boar. 
The  game  was  sometimes  attacked  in  the  inclosure  of  the 
toils,  and  the  Merciire  Galant  gives  an  account  of  a  grand 
hunt  of  that  sort  which  took  place  at  Fontainebleau  on  the 
30th  of  October,  1707 :  "  The  toils  were  placed  in  the  glades 
of  Bombon.  In  the  inclosure  there  were  a  large  number  of 
stags,  wild  boars,  roebucks,  and  foxes.  The  court  arrived 
there.  The  king,  the  Queen  of  England,^  her  son,  Madame 
la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and  Madame  ^  were  in  the  same 
carriage,  and  all  the  princesses  and  the  ladies  followed  in  the 
carriages  and  caleches  of  the  king.  A  very  large  number 
of  noblemen  on  horseback  accompanied  the  carriages.  Within 
the  inclosure  there  were  platforms,  arranged  with  seats  cov- 
ered with  tapestry  for  the  ladies,  and  many  riding-horses 
for  the  nobles  who  wished  to  attack  the  game  with  swords 
or  darts.  They  killed  sixteen  of  the  largest  beasts,  and  some 
foxes.  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Berry  slew  several.  This  chase  gave 
much  pleasure  on  account  of  the  brilliancy  of  the  spectacle, 
and  the  large  number  of  nobles  who  surrounded  the  toils. 
A  multitude  of  people  had  climbed  into  the  trees,  and  by 
their  diversity  they  formed  an  admirable  background."  As 
a  rule,  the  wild  boar  was  sought  in  the  forest  with  the  boar 
hunting-train.    The  person  who  killed  the  boar  was  entitled 

*  The  wife  of  James  II,  then  in  exile. 

'The  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  wife  of  Monsieur, 

76 


The  Kennels  and  the  Hunting-Train 

to  the  head,  and  brought  an  ear  to  the  Icing  on  the  point  of  his 
sword,  in  the  Persian  fashion. 

The  grand  master  of  the  wolf-hounds  directed  the  chase 
of  the  wolf,  having  under  his  orders  2  lieutenants,  10  whip- 
pers-in,  20  valets  of  the  hounds,  4  guards,  and  a  stable  of 
horses  for  the  chase  of  the  wolf.  There  were  also  under  his 
orders  6  lieutenants  of  the  wolf  hunting-train  in  the  prov- 
inces.   The  great  wolf-hunter  of  the  time  was  Monseigneur. 

As  for  the  falconry,  so  much  in  fashion  under  Louis  XIII, 
it  was  not  to  the  taste  of  the  Grand  Monarch.  He  hunted 
in  that  way  from  time  to  time,  however,  occasionally  on 
horseback,  usually  in  a  caleche.  But  though  the  king  took 
little  interest  in  the  sport,  the  service  was  complete  and  splen- 
didly appointed.  In  171 3  the  Elector  of  Bavaria,  who  de- 
lighted in  that  form  of  hunting,  found  the  king's  equipages 
for  the  falconry  magnificent.  The  grand  falconer  had  under 
his  orders  8  captains,  7  lieutenants,  25  gentlemen  of  the  fal- 
conry, 56  whippers-in,  2  valets  of  the  spaniels,  2  guards,  a 
commissary,  and  2  farriers.  He  had  control  also  of  the  birds 
used  in  the  chase,  the  hawks,  gerfalcons,  tercelets,  etc.  There 
were  two  casts  of  hawks  for  the  kite,  one  for  the  heron,  one 
for  the  crow,  one  for  the  partridge;  and  in  the  chase  of  the 
heron  and  partridge,  dogs  as  well  as  birds  were  used.  The 
hawking-train  kept  40  birds  and  18  spaniels. 

Thus  in  an  establishment  so  thoroughly  equipped  and  or- 
ganized, all  forms  of  the  chase  furnished  the  sovereign  with 
a  brilliant  retinue,  but  neither  the  wolf-hunt  nor  the  boar-hunt 
could  vie  in  splendor  with  the  flashing  cortege  that  swept  be- 
hind the  King  of  France  to  chase  the  stag. 

After  a  stag-hunt  the  quarry  was  usually  held  by  torch- 
light. At  Versailles  this  took  place,  under  Louis  XIV,  in  the 
Cour  des  Cerfs/   from  the  balcony  of  which  the  king  and 

^  An  inner  court  of  the  palace  between  the   state  apartments  of  the 
king  and  his  private  apartments. 

77 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

the  princes  watched  it.  The  quarry  was  held  in  the  following 
manner :  "  When  His  Majesty  had  made  known  his  intentions 
on  the  subject,  all  the  huntsmen  with  their  horns  and  in  hunt- 
ing-dress came  to  the  place  where  the  quarry  was  to  be  made. 
On  the  arrival  of  the  king,  who  was  also  in  hunting-dress, 
the  grand  huntsman,  who  had  received  two  wands  of  office, 
gave  one  to  the  king,  and  retained  the  other.  The  dogs  were 
held  under  the  whip  about  the  carcass  of  the  stag  until  the 
grand  huntsman,  having  received  the  order  from  the  king, 
gave  the  sign  with  his  wand  that  they  should  be  set  at  liberty. 
The  horns  sounded,  and  the  huntsmen,  who  while  the  hounds 
were  held  under  the  whip  had  cried,  '  Back,  dogs !  Back ! ' 
shouted  now,  '  Hallali,  valets!  Hallali! '  When  the  quarry 
had  been  made,  that  is  to  say,  when  the  flesh  had  been  torn 
from  the  bones,  a  valet  took  the  forhu,^  and  called  the  dogs, 
crying,  *  Tayaut,  tayaut! '  and  threw  the  forhu  into  the  midst 
of  the  pack,  where  it  was  devoured  at  once.  At  this  instant 
the  fanfares  redoubled,  and  finished  by  sounding  the  retreat. 
The  king  returned  the  wand  to  the  grand  huntsman,  who  at 
the  head  of  all  the  huntsmen  followed  His  Majesty."  ^ 

Louis  XIV  made  many  fine  roads  about  Marly,  Versailles, 
St.  Germain,  and  Fontainebleau  in  order  that  he  might  hunt 
the  stag  more  easily.  These  were  the  only  roads  in  France 
which  were  kept  in  good  repair. 

*  The  belly  of  the  stag,  washed  and  placed  on  the  end  of  a  forked  stick. 
^Dussieux,  II,  pp.  182-183. 


78 


II 

THE    PARK 


M 


THE   GARDENS 

ORE  than  two  centuries  have  passed  since  the 
gardens  of  Versailles,  in  all  their  splendor,  as- 
tonished the  Doge  of  Genoa  and  the  ambassa- 
dors of  Siam.  They  are  still  magnificent,  but 
many  features  have  been  destroyed  or  changed  or  modified 
since  the  days  of  Louis  XIV.  The  first  design  of  the  gardens 
was  not  that  of  Le  Notre,  but  the  plan  of  Lemercier  and  of 
Boyceau,  many  of  whose  ideas  were  preserved  and  enlarged 
and  rendered  more  beautiful  by  Louis  XIV.  But  though  all 
was  not  the  work  of  Le  Notre,  the  personality  of  that  genius, 
nevertheless,  dominated  all  throughout  its  length  and  breadth, 
as  he  has  dominated  French  gardening  ever  since,  and  the 
gardens  may  be  referred  to  rightly  as  his  creation.  The  man 
himself  merits  a  word. 

Andre  Le  Notre  first  attracted  the  king's  attention  at  Fou- 
quet's  Chateau  of  Vaux,  where  he  had  designed  a  garden 
whose  beauty  and  novelty  stamped  its  creator  as  a  man  of 
talent  and  a  master  of  his  art.  After  the  fall  of  Fouquet, 
Louis  took  Le  Notre  into  his  service  and  intrusted  to  him  the 
gardens  of  Versailles.  With  insight  and  imagination  of  the 
first  order,  with  boundless  enthusiasm  for  his  art,  Le  Notre 
took  up  the  task  in  which  he  was  to  prove  himself  the  great- 
est landscape-architect  of  his  time,  perhaps  of  all  time.  Pos- 
sessing in  a  preeminent  degree  the  "  sense  of  the  beautiful 
in  space"  and  the  "sense  of  elegance  in  majesty  and  regu- 

«  8i 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

larity,"  he  saw,  as  in  a  vision,  what  no  other  man  had  seen, 
the  gardens  of  the  new  Versailles,  the  gardens  of  a  Sun 
King,  whom  all  the  Arts  united  to  celebrate;  and  when 
he  had  drawn  his  plans,  he  brought  the  Grand  Monarch 
to  the  terrace,  that  Louis,  too,  might  see.  All  was  to  be 
created ;  all  existed  only  in  the  mind  of  the  great  gardener 
and  on  the  papers  which  he  held  in  his  hand.  Saint- Yenne 
relates  the  scene : 

"  When  Le  Notre  had  traced  out  his  ideas,  he  brought 
Louis  XIV  to  the  spot  to  judge  the  distribution  of  the  prin- 
cipal parts  and  their  ornamentation.  He  began  with  the  two 
grand  basins  which  are  on  the  terrace  in  front  of  the  chateau, 
with  their  magnificent  decorations.  He  explained  next  his 
idea  of  the  double  flight  of  stairs,  which  is  opposite  the  cen- 
ter of  the  palace,  adorned  with  yew-trees  and  with  statues, 
and  gave  in  detail  all  the  pieces  that  were  to  enrich  the  space 
which  it  included.  He  passed  then  to  the  Allee  du  Tapis  Vert, 
and  to  that  grand  place  where  we  see  the  head  of  the  canal, 
of  which  he  described  the  size  and  shape,  and  at  the  extrem- 
ities of  whose  arms  he  placed  Trianon  and  the  Menagerie. 
At  each  of  the  grand  pieces  whose  position  Le  Notre  marked, 
and  whose  future  beauties  he  described,  Louis  XIV  inter- 
rupted him,  saying,  *  Le  Notre,  I  give  you  twenty  thousand 
francs.'  This  magnificent  approbation  was  so  frequently  re- 
peated that  it  annoyed  Le  Notre,  whose  soul  was  as  noble  and 
disinterested  as  that  of  his  master  was  generous.  At  the 
fourth  interruption  he  stopped,  and  said  brusquely  to  the 
king,  *  Sire,  Your  Majesty  shall  hear  no  more.  I  should  ruin 
you.'  "  1 

Does  not  that  anecdote  display  two  of  Le  Notre's  most 

prominent  characteristics,  love  of  his  art  for  the  art's  sake,  and 

simple  frankness  ?    As  he  was  at  the  beginning  of  his  career, 

so  he  remained  to  the  end,  modest,  frank,  honest,  and  de- 

^  L'Ombre  du  Grand  Colbert,  1752,  after  Dussieux,  II,  p.  198. 

82 


Andre  Le  Notre 


The  Gardens 


voted  to  his  art.  The  king,  who  loved  his  talent,  and  even 
more  the  character  of  the  man  himself,  ennobled  him  and 
gave  him  the  order  of  St.  Michel.  In  addition  to  his  great 
work  at  Versailles  he  designed  the  gardens  of  Trianon,  of 
Marly,  of  St.  Cloud,  of  Clagny,  of  Chantilly,  of  Meudon,  of 
St.  Germain,  of  the  Tuileries,  etc.  His  world  courted  him 
and  made  much  of  him ;  he  passed  from  triumph  to  triumph, 
but  remained  unspoiled.  "  He  was,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  of 
a  charming  simplicity  and  truthfulness.  ...  A  month  before 
Le  Notre's  death,  the  king,  who  liked  to  see  him  and  to  make 
him  talk,  led  him  into  the  gardens  of  Marly,  and,  on  account 
of  his  great  age,  placed  him  in  a  wheeled  chair  by  the  side  of 
his  own.  Upon  this  Le  Notre  said,  '  Ah,  my  poor  father,  if 
you  were  living  and  could  see  a  simple  gardener  like  me, 
your  son,  wheeled  along  in  a  chair  by  the  side  of  the  greatest 
king  in  the  world,  nothing  would  be  wanting  to  my  joy ! '  "  ^ 
Le  Notre  had  a  beautiful  apartment  at  the  Grand  Commun 
and  a  lodging  at  the  Tuileries.  He  died  in  1700,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-seven,  retaining  all  his  faculties  and  his  good  taste 
to  the  last.^  But  the  man  was  greater  than  his  work.  Here 
is  his  epitaph.  "  Le  Notre,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  was  es- 
teemed and  loved  by  everybody."  To  have  that  true  in  a 
court  like  that  of  the  Grand  Monarch,  to  have  it  written  by 
one  of  the  proudest  and  most  sarcastic  of  French  noblemen, 
was  not  that  a  marvel,  surpassing  the  creation  of  the  gardens 
of  Versailles? 

It  was  easier  to  erect  the  Chateau  of  Versailles  than  to  lay 
out  the  gardens.  The  difficulties  attending  the  construction 
of  the  latter  were  very  great,  and,  aside  from  the  large 
number  of  men  and  horses  required  to  make  the  excava- 
tions and  to  rear  the  vast  terraces,  the  chief  obstacles  to  be 

*  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  169.  troller-general  of  the  king's  build- 

'Le    Notre    died    in    September,   ings    and   gardens    by   his   nephew, 
1700,    and    was    succeeded    as    con-    Desgots. 


83 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

surmounted  were  the  lack  of  large  trees  and  the  scarcity  of 
water. 

In  the  time  of  Louis  XIII  there  were  but  two  ornamental 
groves  in  the  garden,  the  bosquet  du  Dauphin  and  the  bosquet 
de  la  Girandole;  the  rest  was  wooded,  with  walks  cut  here 
and  there.  To  carry  out  the  plans  of  Le  Notre  it  was  neces- 
sary to  destroy  the  trees  in  the  vicinity  of  the  chateau,  and 
in  the  replanting  of  the  gardens  the  king  was  not  content 
to  have  young  trees.  At  certain  points  he  wished  to  obtain 
an  immediate  result,  and  not  to  wait  for  years.  Thus,  very 
frequently,  especially  in  1680,  they  transplanted  large  trees, 
bringing  them  from  Compiegne,  from  Flanders,  from  the 
mountains  of  Dauphine,  and  from  the  forests  of  Normandy. 
In  1688  they  purchased  in  Artois,  for  the  sum  of  16,949 
livres,  twenty-five  thousand  trees,  which,  in  spite  of  the  dif- 
ficulties of  transportation  over  bad  roads,  were  brought  in 
wagons;  many  perished,  but  they  were  replaced  at  once  by 
others.  The  director  of  the  planting  of  the  trees  in  the  park 
and  avenjLies  of  Versailles  was  the  Sieur  Ballon. 

But  the  question  of  the  water-supply  was  the  most  serious 
problem  to  be  solved  in  connection  with  the  gardens.  The 
director  of  the  waters,  or  commander  of  the  fountains,  to 
give  him  the  title  then  in  use,  was  Pierre  de  Francine.  He 
and  his  assistant  Denis  placed  the  conduits  for  the  water  to 
supply  the  basins,  the  bosquets,  the  cascades,  and  the  jets.  In 
that  particular  the  resources  of  Versailles  were  limited,  and 
as  the  king  constantly  changed  his  fountains  and  increased 
their  number,  the  work  of  Francine  was  soon  found  insuffi- 
cient. Louis  XIV  and  Colbert  then  sought  other  means  to 
obtain  the  necessary  volume  of  water.  Riquet  had  a  plan 
to  bring  the  waters  of  the  Loire  to  Versailles,  but,  on  exam- 
ination, the  project  was  found  to  be  impossible.  Another 
scheme,  which  unfortunately  was  adopted,  was  that  of  Vau- 
ban  and  Lahire  to  bring  the  waters  of  the  Eure.     "  At  the 

84 


u 


The  Gardens 


lever  of  the  king,"  says  Dangeau,  under  date  of  October  19, 
1684,  "they  talked  much  of  the  river  Eure,  which  the  king 
wishes  to  bring  to  Versailles."  Thirty  thousand  soldiers 
were  employed  on  the  works  at  the  Eure,  and  in  July,  1686, 
the  king  reviewed  twenty-two  battalions  that  were  engaged 
there.  A  canal  was  dug  and  a  large  aqueduct  reared,  but  the 
war  of  1688  and  the  state  of  the  finances  stopped  the  enter- 
prise. This  work,  which  proved  useless  in  the  end,  cost  the 
lives  of  several  thousand  soldiers,  who  caught  contagion 
from  the  upturned  earth,  and  nearly  forty  millions  of  francs. 
But  even  before  the  project  for  the  Eure  failed,  water  was 
being  sought  in  other  directions.  The  machine  of  Marly  was 
constructed  from  1681  to  1687,  and  about  the  same  time 
Picard  and  Romer  had  in  operation  a  vast  system  of  trenches 
and  aqueducts  to  drain  the  plateau  of  Satory  of  the  water 
which  collected  there  from  rain  and  from  melting  snow. 
This  water  was  drained  into  six  ponds,  those  of  St.  Hubert, 
Mesnil-St.  Denis,  Trou-Sale,  Martiniere,  Saclay,  and  St. 
Quentin,  from  which  it  was  brought  to  the  reservoirs  of 
Montbauron  and  of  Gobert,  and  from  there,  by  means  of 
conduits,  to  Versailles;  to  the  park,  for  the  fountains,  and 
to  the  town,  for  the  needs  of  the  inhabitants.  These  great 
works  were  very  costly,  but  they  were  successful.  The  water 
they  furnished  was  better  and  more  healthful  than  that  sup- 
plied by  the  machine  of  Marly;  and  even  to-day,  after  more 
than  two  centuries,  the  works  are  still  in  use  and  are  kept 
in  good  repair. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  607  jets  of  water  in  the  gar- 
dens, but  under  Louis  XIV  there  were  1400.  "Nothing  is 
more  surprising,"  says  La  Martiniere,  "  than  the  immense 
quantity  of  water  thrown  up  by  the  fountains  when  they  all 
play  together  at  the  promenades  of  the  king.  These  jets  are 
capable  of  using  up  a  river."  In  fact,  so  much  water  was 
needed  for  all  the  fountains  to  play  at  the  same  time  that  this 

85 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

took  place  only  at  great  fetes,  or  when  some  ambassador  or 
foreigner  of  the  first  rank  visited  the  chateau.  As  a  rule,  in 
the  summer  and  on  the  days  when  the  king  was  at  Versailles, 
only  the  fountains  on  the  terrace,  and  those  which  could  be 
seen  from  the  windows  of  the  chateau,  played  from  ten 
o'clock  in  the  morning  until  eight  in  the  evening. 

Under  the  direction  of  Lebrun  and  Mignard,  ninety-five 
sculptors  worked  on  the  statues  and  on  the  other  decorations 
of  the  gardens,  and  in  addition  to  the  works  of  the  French 
artists  the  king  ordered  from  Italy  a  very  large  number  of 
statues,  antiques  or  copies  from  the  antique.  The  taste  of  the 
age  turned  to  the  mythology  of  Greece  and  Rome,  and  the 
gardens  of  Versailles  became  a  new  Olympus. 

When  the  gardens  were  finished,  the  king  opened  them  to 
the  public,  who  were  allowed  to  promenade  there  freely,  but 
in  a  short  time  it  was  found  necessary  to  abandon  this  plan. 
The  crowd  injured  many  of  the  vases  and  statues,  and  His 
Majesty  in  his  walks  was  surrounded  and  annoyed  by  a  mul- 
titude of  people  who  came  from  all  directions,  above  all  from 
Paris.  Therefore  the  guards  received  orders  to  close  the 
gates  and  admit  only  the  personages  of  the  court  and  those 
who  accompanied  them. 


86 


II 


THE  TERRACE,  THE  FOUNTAINS  AND 
BOSQUETS 

SAINT-SIMON  was  very  unjust  in  his  description 
of  Versailles :  "  The  gardens  astonish  by  their  mag- 
nificence, but  cause  regret  by  their  bad  taste.  You 
are  introduced  to  the  freshness  of  the  shade  only  by 
a  vast  torrid  zone,  at  the  end  of  which  there  is  nothing  for  you 
but  to  mount  or  descend,  and  with  the  hill,  which  is  very  short, 
terminate  the  gardens."  ^  That  is  all  he  can  find  to  say  of 
a  spot  where  Le  Notre  surpassed  himself,  and  where  the 
Grand  Monarch  spent  so  many  millions.  If  Versailles  had 
shared  the  fate  of  Marly  it  would  be  more  difficult  to  disprove 
Saint-Simon's  statement,  but  to-day  the  gardens  themselves 
are  the  best  answer  to  his  absurdity. 

THE   TERRACE 

The  vast  terrace  in  front  of  the  chateau  is  ornamented  with 
two  large  basins,  whose  marble  borders  support  splendid 
bronze  groups,  representing  various  rivers  of  France.  De- 
signed by  Regnaudin,  Tuby,  Coyzevox,  and  Lehongre,  they 
were  cast  by  Keller,  and  are  among  the  finest  works  of  art 
at  Versailles.  The  groups  of  children  which  adorn  the  basins 
are  also  beautiful.  In  the  light  of  the  setting  sun,  when  the 
green  of  their  rust  is  gilded,  all  these  bronzes  are  superb. 
In  addition  to  the  basins,  the  terrace  has  two  fountains,  that 
*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  369. 

87 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

at  the  first  glance  might  escape  notice  in  the  multitude  of 
objects  which  are  seen  on  all  sides.  These  fountains,  the 
cabinets  of  Diana  and  of  Pont  du  Jour,  stand  to  the  right 
and  left  of  the  great  staircase  that  leads  to  the  parterre  of 
Latona.  They  are  cabinets  of  verdure  in  the  Italian  style, 
containing  square  basins  of  red-and-white  marble,  decorated 
with  bronze  groups  of  animals  which  were  cast  by  Keller 
in  1687.  Beside  each  cabinet  are  three  marble  statues,  and 
of  these  the  most  beautiful  is  the  "  Diana  "  of  Desjardins. 
Holding  her  bow  aloft,  the  goddess  of  the  chase  advances, 
full  of  life  and  grace  and  joy,  a  triumphant  deity,  demanding 
adoration,  one  of  the  most  charming  figures  in  the  Olympus 
at  Versailles. 

Advance  to  the  great  staircase,  and  the  gardens  in  all  their 
beauty  appear  before  you,  stretching  to  the  west.  In  the  fore- 
ground is  the  vast  and  splendid  parterre  of  Latona,  with  its 
fountains,  its  flowers,  and  its  statues;  beyond  it  the  Royal 
Allee,  with  its  closely  cut  green  carpet,  and  its  long  lines  of 
silent  statues,  banked  by  the  heavy  foliage  of  the  adjoining 
groves,  slopes  gently  to  the  great  basin  in  the  distance  where 
Apollo  sits  enthroned  in  his  chariot;  behind  Apollo  lie  the 
placid  waters  of  the  grand  canal. 

THE  PARTERRE  OF  LATONA 

This  parterre  contains  three  fountains.  The  principal  one, 
the  fountain  of  Latona,  existed  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIII, 
though  not  in  its  present  form.  Latona,  having  at  her  feet 
her  children,  Apollo  and  Diana,  implores  Jupiter  to  punish 
the  peasants  who  have  insulted  her,  and  the  god  changes 
them  to  frogs.  These  gilded  frogs  throw  more  than  fifty 
jets  of  water  which  cross  above  and  beside  the  figure  of 
Latona,  producing  a  beautiful  effect.  All  the  sculptures  of 
this  fountain  are  the  work  of  the  brothers  Marsy.    The  two 

88 


The  Terrace,  the  Fountains  and  Bosquets 

smaller  fountains,  called  the  basins  of  the  Lizards,  also  the 
work  of  Marsy,  are  decorated  with  figures  in  gilded  lead, 
and  placed  in  ornamental  grass-plots,  bordered  by  beds  of 
flowers. 

Passing  down  the  allee  of  Latona,  we  come  at  the  end  of 
the  parterre  to  the  large  half-moon  which  precedes  the  Royal 
Allee  or  Tapis  Vert.  The  Grand  Monarch  had  written  an 
itinerary^  which  the  officers  of  his  Household  followed  in 
conducting  visitors  through  the  gardens,  and  at  this  point 
the  king's  guests  were  stopped  that  they  might  admire  the 
view.  Therefore  let  us  pause  for  a  moment  at  the  royal 
view-point,  for  though  much  has  been  changed  in  other  parts, 
we  still  see  to-day  from  this  spot  the  gardens  as  Louis  him- 
self saw  them.  To  the  east,  beyond  the  brilliant  parterre 
of  Latona,  with  its  fountains,  its  flowers,  and  its  orange- 
trees,  rise  the  vine-covered  walls  of  the  terraces,  with  their 
spacious  flights  of  steps  and  their  vividly  green  clipped  yews. 
Above  the  great  staircase  appears  the  stately  facade  of  the 
chateau.  Time  has  turned  the  stone  to  a  soft  yellow  color 
with  which  the  green  yews  on  the  terrace  harmonize  admi- 
rably. The  trophies  and  vases,  which  were  removed  from 
the  balustrade  of  the  roof  under  the  Empire,  have  been  re- 
placed as  they  were  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  Turn  to  the 
west  and  survey  the  Royal  Allee,  the  basin  of  Apollo,  and  the 
grand  canal,  or  look  to  the  north  to  the  allee  of  Ceres,  or 
to  the  south  to  that  of  Bacchus,  and  you  realize  the  harmony 
that  existed  between  Mansart  and  Le  Notre  in  the  decoration 
of  the  chateau  and  in  the  plan  of  the  gardens. 

THE  GRAND   CANAL 

The  grand  canal,  the  main  body  of  which  has  a  length  of 
something  over  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  is  constructed  in  the 

^  This  itinerary  has  been  published  by  M.  Arthur  Mangin  in  his 
Jardins,  1867. 

89 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

form  of  a  cross.  Trianon  is  at  the  extremity  of  the  north 
arm,  and  at  the  extremity  of  the  south  arm  the  Menagerie 
stood  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  Work  was  begun  in  1667, 
but  the  canal  was  not  completed  until  1680.  It  was  intended 
not  merely  as  an  ornamental  sheet  of  water  to  prolong  the 
view  from  the  windows  of  the  chateau,  but  to  play  a  part  in 
the  fetes  of  the  court.  The  king  kept  on  it  carved  and  gilded 
boats  and  galleys,  decked  with  red-and-white  streamers  and 
hangings  fringed  with  gold.  Not  content  with  them,  how- 
ever. His  Majesty  ordered  a  ship  of  war  for  the  canal.  This 
ship  carried  thirty-two  small  guns,  carved  by  Marsy  at  a 
cost  of  20,000  livres,  and  the  king,  going  on  board  for  the 
first  time  in  June,  1686,  sailed  peacefully  to  Trianon.  In 
addition  there  were  the  gilded  gondolas,  the  first  of  which 
the  Republic  of  Venice  had  presented  to  Louis  XIV  in  1679. 
The  king  bought  others,  and  secured  the  services  of  fourteen 
Venetian  gondoliers,^  who  were  dressed  in  crimson  and 
lodged  at  the  head  of  the  canal,  in  the  buildings  which  are  still 
called  "  Little  Venice."  Three  companies  of  bargemen,  com- 
manded by  the  Chevalier  Paulin,  were  attached  to  the  service 
of  the  boats  on  the  canal,  some  two  hundred  and  sixty  men  in 
all,  and  of  these  sixty  were  always  ready  at  a  moment's  no- 
tice whenever  the  king  or  the  courtiers  wished  to  embark. 
Such  embarkations  were  frequent  in  the  summer.  The  king 
more  than  once  took  supper  on  his  ship,  and  the  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne  often  remained  in  her  gondola  listening  to  music 
from  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  dawn. 

The  grand  canal  lies  outside  the  gardens,  in  the  park  which 
includes  Trianon  and  the  Menagerie  and  much  wooded  land 
besides.  As  for  the  gardens  proper,  they  are  divided  by  the 
great  terrace,  the  parterre  of  Latona,  the  Royal  Allee,  and 
the  basin  of  Apollo,  into  two  chief  parts,  that  of  the  north 
and  that  of  the  south,  each  containing  many  fountains  and 
^  They  were  sent  back  to  Venice  by  the  regent  in  171 7. 
90 


The  Terrace,  the  Fountains  and  Bosquets 

bosquets.  Let  us  take  first  the  garden  of  the  north,  in  which 
are  the  parterre  du  Nord,  the  Allee  d'Eau,  the  bosquets  of 
the  Arch  of  Triumph  and  of  the  Three  Fountains,  the  basin 
of  the  Dragon,  the  basin  of  Neptune,  the  basins  of  Ceres  and 
of  Flora,  the  bosquets  of  the  Star,  of  the  ObeHsk,  of  the 
Dauphin,  of  the  Domes,  and  of  the  Giant. 


THE   PARTERRE   DU   NORD 

In  this  parterre,  which  lies  beneath  the  windows  of  the  north 
wing  of  the  chateau,  one  misses  Le  Notre's  hand.  It  was 
designed  by  Claude  Perrault  in  1664,  and  in  spite  of  its 
vases  and  flowers,  and  its  two  handsome  basins  of  the 
Crowns,  it  is  dull  and  heavy,  almost  lugubrious.  For  some 
reason  the  sun  seems  to  shine  less  brightly  here  than  else- 
where at  Versailles.  Through  it  the  courtiers  passed  con- 
tinually to  reach  other  points,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  they  lin- 
gered. The  fountains  at  the  end  of  the  central  allee — namely, 
the  Pyramid  and  the  Cascade — are  the  most  inartistic  in  the 
gardens,  especially  the  Pyramid.  Though  its  lead  Tritons, 
which  were  designed  by  Perrault,  were  formerly  gilded,  it 
could  not  even  then  have  been  a  thing  of  beauty.  The  won- 
der is  that  the  Grand  Monarch,  who  was  continiially  chang- 
ing his  gardens,  preserved  this  ugly  fountain  in  the  midst 
of  his  magnificence.  The  Cascade  is  not  much  better,  al- 
though it  is  decorated  with  a  bas-relief  by  Girardon,  repre- 
senting Diana  and  her  Nymphs,  which  has  some  merit.  But 
the  parterre  du  Nord  is,  after  all,  only  a  fraction  of  the 
great  plan,  and  though  some  of  its  details  leave  much  to  be 
desired,  it  does  not  mar  the  harmony  of  the  whole. 

From  the  parterre  du  Nord  three  allees  lead  down  to  the 
great  basin  of  Neptune.  The  central  allee,  called  the  Allee 
d'Eau,  which  separates  the  bosquet  of  the  Arch  of  Triumph 
frpm  that  of  the  Three  Fountains,  takes  its  name  from  the 

91 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

fact  that  it  is  adorned  with  twenty-two  small  fountains, 
placed  in  two  lines,  each  composed  of  a  group  of  bronze 
children  who  support  a  marble  basin.  These  bronze  groups, 
the  work  of  Duval  and  of  Langlois,  show  great  variety  in 
design  and  ornamentation,  and  yet  the  effect  of  the  whole  is 
disappointing,  except  when  the  waters  play.  In  the  time 
of  Louis  XIV  there  were  yew-trees  in  vases  of  gilded  copper 
between  all  the  fountains,  and  such  a  combination  of  green 
and  gold  would  make  the  allee  much  more  attractive  than 
it  is  at  present.  The  tall  trees  and  heavy  foliage  in  the  groves 
of  the  Arch  of  Triumph  and  of  the  Three  Fountains  form 
now  the  chief  charm.  At  the  foot  of  the  Allee  d'Eau  is  the 
basin  of  the  Dragon,  which  is  handsome  and  of  good  size, 
but  appears  as  nothing  in  contrast  to  the  huge  basin  of  Nep- 
tune that  lies  behind  it. 

THE   BASIN   OF   NEPTUNE 

Here  again  is  the  hand  of  Le  Notre.  The  basin  of  Neptune, 
called  at  first  the  Grand  Cascades,  was  constructed  from  1679 
to  1684,  in  accordance  with  his  designs.  This  immense 
basin,  surrounded  on  the  side  toward  the  chateau  by  a  hand- 
some wall  pf  stone,  and  on  the  other  by  an  amphitheater  of 
turf  and  trees,  a  vast  half-circle,  in  the  center  of  which  stands 
a  marble  statue  of  Renown,  is  simple  in  conception  and  im- 
posing from  its  size.  The  richly  carved  lead  vases  which 
adorn  the  wall  were  gilded  under  the  Grand  Monarch,  and 
each  throws  a  jet  of  water  to  a  great  height.  Dangeau  tells 
us  that  His  Majesty  saw  the  waters  play  here  for  the  first 
time  on  the  17th  of  May,  1685,  ^^^  that  he  was  quite  con- 
tent. However,  Neptune  had  not  then  appeared  in  the 
basin  which  now  bears  his  name;  for  the  large  groups  of 
Neptune,  the  Ocean,  and  the  Tritons,  which  ornament  the 
base  of  the  wall  at  present,  were  not  put  in  place  until  1739, 

92 


K 


The  Terrace,  the  Fountains  and  Bosquets 

in  the  reign  of  Louis  XV.  This  majestic  basin  at  the  foot 
of  the  Allee  d'Eau  is  a  striking  contrast  to  Perrault's  ugly 
Pyramid  at  the  head  of  it.  Le  Notre  knew  what  was  fitting 
for  the  gardens  of  a  Sun  King. 

THE  BOSQUETS  OF  THE  ARCH  OF  TRIUMPH  AND  OF 
THE  THREE  FOUNTAINS 

These  bosquets  are  now  ghosts  of  what  they  were  and  wrecks 
of  the  old  Versailles.  They  stand  on  either  side  of  the  Allee 
d'Eau,  the  Arch  of  Triumph  being  between  the  allee  and 
the  palace.  The  gates  of  the  Three  Fountains  are  closed  to 
the  public,  but  there  is  little  to  see,  for  it  is  simply  a  thick 
grove  of  fine  trees,  with  hedges  and  traces  of  the  former 
basins.  In  Louis's  day  it  contained  a  charming  allee  with 
an  immense  number  of  small  jets  of  water,  leaping  from 
basins  at  the  sides  and  forming  an  arch  of  water  overhead, 
beneath  which  one  could  walk  without  being  wet.  The  Arch 
of  Triumph,  however,  was  one  of  the  marvels  of  the  old 
gardens.  This  bosquet  is  open  to  the  public,  but  nothing  re- 
mains of  its  original  decoration  save  the  fountain  of  France 
at  the  entrance.  France  sits  triumphant  in  her  car,  with 
Spain  and  Germany  at  her  chariot-wheels,  for  this  fountain, 
which  was  the  work  of  Tuby  and  Coyzevox,  has  been  care- 
fully restored.  The  fountain  of  the  Arch  of  Triumph,  which 
gave  the  grove  its  name,  and  the  fountains  of  Victory  and 
Glory,  that  stood  on  either  side,  have  disappeared  long  ago. 
They  were  restored  in  1732,  but  in  1787  they  were  again  in 
a  bad  way,  and  in  1801  they  were  destroyed.  The  fountain 
of  Victory  was  at  the  right  of  the  bosquet  as  one  ascended 
toward  the  Arch  of  Triumph.  Above  a  wealth  of  sculpture, 
Victory,"  trumpet  in  hand,  stood  on  a  globe  ornamented  with 
three  fleurs-de-lis.  This  fountain  was  the  work  of  Mazeline. 
Opposite  to  it  was  the  fountain  of  Glory,  designed  by  Lebrun 
and  executed  by  Coyzevox.     The  Arch  of  Triumph,  which 

93 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

filled  the  end  of  the  bosquet,  was  placed  on  an  estrade  with 
marble  steps,  and  was  preceded  by  four  lofty  obelisks  of 
gilded  iron  in  which  the  water  leaped  and  fell  in  sheets  of 
crystal.  The  fountain  itself  was  composed  of  three  porticos 
of  gilded  iron,  with  large  jets  in  the  center  of  each,  while 
seven  jets  leaped  up  from  the  basins  above  the  porticos,  and 
all  the  waters  rushed  down  over  the  steps  of  marble.  In 
addition  twenty-two  vases  at  the  sides  of  the  bosquet  threw 
jets  into  the  air.  "Without  having  seen  it,"  says  Blondel, 
"  it  is  impossible  to  imagine  the  wonderful  effect  produced 
by  this  decoration."  ^  We  may  well  believe  him.  All  this 
has  vanished,  and  to-day  triumphant  France  gazes  at  nothing, 
or  next  to  nothing,  a  marble  boar  on  a  pedestal  and  a  mass 
of  foliage. 

To  give  an  account  in  detail  of  all  the  fountains  and  bos- 
quets in  the  gardens  of  Versailles  and  of  the  many  changes 
made  in  them  by  Louis  XIV,  or  of  those  made  by  others 
since  his  day,  would  extend  this  chapter  far  beyond  its  proper 
limits.  Words,  too,  convey  no  impression  of  the  size  and 
beauty  of  the  gardens,  of  long  vistas,  of  leaping  waters  seen 
afar,  of  sunlight  glinting  through  the  high  green  vaults  of 
stately  allees,  of  regiments  of  marble  statues  silent  and  sen- 
tinel-like, of  birds  singing  in  quiet  bosquets  where  a  courtier 
could  well  fancy  himself  a  hundred  miles  from  court.  There- 
fore let  us  glance  only  at  the  Baths  of  Apollo  before  passing 
to  the  south  side  of  the  great  terrace  to  close  this  sketch  of 
the  gardens  with  a  brief  account  of  the  parterre  du  Midi, 
the  Salle  de  Bal,  and  the  Colonnade. 

THE  BATHS   OF  APOLLO 

This  grove  is  next  to  the  parterre  of  Latona  on  the  north 
side.    It  was  called  at  first  the  Marais,  and  was  constructed 

^Dussieux,  II,  p.  239. 

94 


The  Basin  of  Neptune  and  the  Bosquets  of  the  Arch  of  Triumph 
and  of  the  Three  Fountains  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV 


The  Terrace,  the  Fountains  and  Bosquets 

from  1670  to  1676,  in  accordance  with  the  plans  of  Madame 
de  Montespan.  While  the  favor  of  the  marquise  lasted, 
people  spoke  of  the  Marais  as  one  of  the  marvels  of  the  gar- 
dens, but  it  was  undoubtedly  considered  less  wonderful  after 
her  fall.  In  the  center  stood  a  large  oak  surrounded  by  an 
artificial  marsh,  bordered  with  reeds  and  grasses,  and  contain- 
ing plants  and  a  number  of  white  swans.  From  the  swans, 
from  the  reeds  and  grasses,  and  from  the  leaves  and  branches 
of  the  oak,  thousands  of  little  jets  of  water  leaped  forth, 
falling  like  fine  rain  upon  the  masses  of  natural  vegetation 
that  flourished  amid  the  artificial.  At  the  sides  of  the  bos- 
quet there  were  two  tables  of  marble,  on  which  a  collation 
was  served  when  the  marquise  came  to  her  grove  to  see  the 
waters  play.  In  1704  the  king  ordered  Mansart  to  destroy 
the  Marais  and  transform  the  bosquet  into  the  Baths  of 
Apollo. 

The  new  bosquet  contained  the  famous  groups  of  sculpture 
of  Apollo  and  the  horses  of  the  Sun,  which  had  figured  first 
at  Versailles  in  the  splendid  Grotto  of  Thetis.  That  grotto 
once  stood  on  the  site  of  the  vestibule  of  the  present  chapel, 
but  had  been  destroyed  in  1686,  when  Mansart  built  the  north 
wing  of  the  chateau.  The  groups  were  then  transported  to 
the  further  side  of  the  gardens  and  placed  in  the  bosquet  of 
Renown,  near  the  basin  of  Apollo,  where  they  remained  until 
1704,  when  the  Baths  of  Apollo  replaced  the  Marais.  In  the 
new  bosquet  they  were  placed  under  canopies  of  gilded  lead 
to  protect  them  from  rain  and  snow.  The  principal  group, 
representing  Apollo  and  the  Nymphs,  is  the  work  of  Girar- 
don,  and  is  very  beautiful.  The  two  smaller  groups  of  the 
horses  of  the  Sun  and  the  Tritons  were  executed  by  Marsy 
and  Guerin. 

In  1778  the  Baths  of  Apollo  underwent  an  entire  alteration 
at  the  hands  of  Hubert  Robert,  being  remade  in  accordance 
with  the  taste  of  the  day.     The  principal  group  was  then 

95 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

placed  in  the  grotto  adorned  with  columns,  in  which  it  now 
stands,  and  which  was  intended  to  represent  the  palace  of 
Thetis.  As  far  as  one  can  judge  from  the  pictures  of  Co- 
telle  and  of  Silvestre,  the  arrangement  of  the  groups  in  the 
time  of  Louis  XIV  was  less  artistic  than  the  later  design  of 
Robert.  As  a  rule,  the  changes  made  in  the  gardens  of  the 
Grand  Monarch  by  his  successors  were  for  the  worse,  but 
this  bosquet  seems  to  have  been  an  exception. 

THE   PARTERRE   DU   MIDI 

To  the  south  of  the  great  terrace,  under  the  windows  of  the 
state  apartments  of  the  queen,  lies  the  parterre  du  Midi. 
This  flower-garden  is  above  the  Orangery,  and  though  its 
basins  are  more  simple  than  those  of  the  parterre  du  Nord, 
it  is  much  more  attractive  than  the  latter.  At  either  side  of 
the  short  flight  of  steps  leading  from  the  terrace  to  the  garden 
rests  a  marble  sphinx,  bearing  on  its  back  a  Cupid  in  bronze. 
These  charming  bronzes  are  the  work  of  Lerambert.  The 
parterre  du  Midi  gains  much  from  its  elevated  position 
above  the  Orangery,  commanding  on  one  side  a  wooded 
landscape  and  the  Swiss  Lake  beyond  the  road  to  St.  Cyr, 
and  on  the  other  the  best  view  of  the  long  facade  of  the 
chateau.  The  western  terrace  on  the  side  toward  the  gar- 
dens contains  those  steps  of  rose-colored  marble  which  in- 
spired Alfred  de  Musset  to  write  his  beautiful  verses  on  Ver- 
sailles. 

In  the  gardens  which  lie  to  the  south  of  the  parterre  of 
Latona  and  the  Royal  Allee  are  the  bosquet  of  the  Queen 
(called  formerly  the  Labyrinth),  the  basins  of  Bacchus  and 
Saturn,  the  Salle  de  Bal,  the  Salle  des  Marronniers,  the 
bosquet  of  the  Girandole,  the  Colonnade,  the  Mirror,  and 
the  garden  of  the  King  (called  once  the  lie  Royale).  Of 
these  only  the  Salle  de  Bal  and  the  Colonnade  will  be  de- 
scribed here. 

96 


The  Terrace,  the  Fountains  and  Bosquets 


THE  SALLE  DE  BAL 

This  bosquet  occupies  on  the  south  of  the  parterre  of  Latona 
a  position  corresponding  to  that  of  the  Baths  of  Apollo  on 
the  north.  At  one  end  is  a  cascade  of  rocks,  over  which  the 
waters  fall  with  a  pleasant  murmur,  glittering  by  torchlight; 
above  it  was  the  orchestra,  while  the  sides  of  the  bosquet 
facing  the  cascade  are  arranged  in  the  form  of  an  amphi- 
theater, with  terraces  of  turf  on  which  the  courtiers  sat 
when  the  king  gave  a  dance  in  the  Salle  de  Bal.  On  all 
sides  were  vases  and  cressets  of  gilded  lead,  some  of  which 
still  remain.  Under  date  of  the  7th  of  May,  1685,  Dangeau 
tells  us  that  "  Monseigneur,  on  returning  from  a  wolf-hunt, 
gave  in  the  Salle  de  Bal  a  grand  supper  to  those  who  had 
followed  him  to  the  chase.  The  repast  was  very  gay.  On 
leaving  the  table  Monseigneur  went  to  promenade,  and  then 
he  embarked  on  the  canal."  ^  On  the  12th  of  June,  1691, 
after  a  promenade  in  the  Orangery,  Louis  XIV  gave  to  the 
King  and  Queen  of  England,  to  the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Or- 
leans,  to  the  princesses,  and  to  the  ladies  of  their  suite,  a 
magnificent  collation  in  the  Salle  de  Bal,  at  the  close  of  which 
they  went  to  visit  many  of  the  fountains.^ 

THE   COLONNADE 

The  Colonnade,  which  was  constructed  from  1685  to  1688, 
is  situated  near  the  basin  of  Apollo,  to  the  south  of  the  Royal 
Allee.  It  is  circular  in  form,  and  consists  of  thirty-two  mar- 
ble columns  which  support  a  balustrade  adorned  with  vases. 
Between  the  columns  are  twenty-eight  marble  basins,  each 
of  which  throws  up  a  jet  of  water.  Five  steps  of  marble 
surround  the  circle  in  the  center,  which  contains  Girardon's 
beautiful  group  of  Pluto  and  Proserpine,  now  much  injured 

*  Dangeau.  *Dussieux,  II,  p.  261. 

'  97 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

by  time  and  weather.  The  Colonnade,  like  the  majority  of 
the  bosquets  in  the  gardens,  served  for  collations  during  the 
promenades  of  the  court.  On  the  i6th  of  May,  1691,  Mon- 
seigneur  and  the  princesses  came  to  sup  in  the  Colonnade, 
which  was  brilliantly  illuminated.  This  "  morsel  of  archi- 
tecture," as  Saint-Simon  called  it,  was  the  work  of  Mansart, 
and  in  this  connection  Saint-Simon  gives  a  characteristic 
anecdote  of  Le  Notre.  Pope  Clement  X  had  begged  Louis 
to  lend  him  Le  Notre  for  some  months  that  he  might  improve 
the  gardens  of  the  Vatican.  "  Upon  Le  Notre's  return," 
says  Saint-Simon,  "the  king  led  him  into  the  gardens  of 
Versailles,  and  showed  him  what  had  been  done  in  his  ab- 
sence. About  the  Colonnade  he  said  nothing.  The  king 
pressed  him  to  give  his  opinion  thereupon.  '  Why,  Sire,' 
said  Le  Notre,  '  what  can  I  say?  Of  a  mason  you  have  made 
a  gardener,  and  he  has  given  you  a  sample  of  his  trade.' 
The  king  kept  silence,  and  everybody  laughed;  and  it  was 
true  that  this  morsel  of  architecture,  which  was  anything 
but  a  fountain  and  yet  was  intended  to  be  one,  was  much  out 
of  place  in  a  garden."  ^  Le  Notre  was  slightly  jealous  of 
Mansart,  and  the  Due  de  Saint-Simon  was  fond  of  belittling 
all  that  the  king  did.  The  Colonnade  still  remains,  and 
people  can  judge  of  it  for  themselves.  It  does  not  seem  out 
of  place  in  the  gardens,  but  at  present  it  is  closed  to  the 
public,  and  can  be  viewed  only  through  the  iron  gates. 
^  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  169, 


98 


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i.     :J 


Ill 

THE   ORANGERY 

THE  Orangery  was  constructed  by  Mansart  from 
1684  to  1686,  though,  if  we  may  believe  Saint- 
Yenne,  it  was  Le  Notre  who  furnished  the  plans. 
"  Louis  XIV,  not  being  satisfied  with  the  ideas  of 
his  architects  for  this  building,  asked  Le  Notre  many  times 
to  work  at  it.  Le  Notre  excused  himself  always  on  the 
ground  that  his  talent  was  for  gardening  and  not  for  build- 
ing. But  the  king  having  pressed  him  anew  to  think  of  it, 
an  idea  came  to  him  one  night,  and  he  rose  and  traced  out 
his  design.  In  the  morning  he  showed  it  to  His  Majesty, 
who  was  so  well  pleased  that  he  called  Mansart  and  ordered 
him  to  perfect  Le  Notre's  plan  and  execute  it."  ^ 

This  large  building,  which  supports  the  parterre  du  Midi, 
contains  three  long  galleries,  lighted  by  twelve  windows. 
At  the  two  ends  were  statues  of  Hercules  and  Mercury,  and 
in  the  center  a  colossal  marble  statue  of  Louis  XIV,  clad  as 
a  Roman,  a  gift  to  the  king  from  the  Marechal  de  la  Feuil- 
lade.  The  principal  entrance  is  the  Porte  Royale,  opposite 
the  allee  of  Bacchus,  by  which  visitors  who  had  obtained 
permission  to  walk  among  the  orange-trees  entered.  Two 
royal  staircases,  called  the  Cent-Marches  (although  the  num- 
ber of  steps  in  each  is  one  hundred  and  three),  descend  from 
the  parterre  du  Midi  to  the  road  to  St.  Cyr.  Between  them 
lies  the  parterre  of  the  Orangery,  with  its  round  marble 

^  Saint- Yenne,   p.    59,    after   Dussieux,  II,  p.  242. 

99 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

basin  and  ornamental  turf;  in  the  summer  season  this  par- 
terre is  filled  with  orange-trees  of  various  sizes.  Under  the 
Grand  Monarch  there  were  some  3000  orange-trees  in  the 
Orangery,  but  at  present  there  are  about  1800. 

The  king  was  very  fond  of  orange-trees;  he  loved  their 
brilliant  verdure,  their  perfume,  their  flowers,  and  their 
fruit.  They  lined  the  allees  and  groves  of  his  gardens ;  they 
stood  in  tubs  of  silver  in  his  Galerie  des  Glaces  and  in  his 
state  apartments ;  they  decorated  all  his  fetes.  His  gardeners 
had  discovered  a  means  of  keeping  a  certain  number  of  them 
in  bloom  the  year  round,  and  these  were  taken  to  the  chateau, 
and  were  replaced  by  others  at  intervals  of  fifteen  days;  so 
that  in  His  Majesty's  apartments  the  trees  were  always  in 
full  bloom.  For  his  Orangery  at  Versailles  the  king  pur- 
chased orange-trees  wherever  he  could  get  them.  He  ob- 
tained them  in  St.  Domingo  and  in  Flanders;  he  paid  the 
Duchesse  de  la  Ferte  2200  livres  for  twenty;  he  brought 
them  from  the  orangery  at  Fontainebleau. 

Among  the  trees  taken  from  the  latter  place  was  the  Grand- 
Bourbon.  According  to  tradition,  this  famous  orange-tree 
had  been  planted  in  142 1  by  a  Princess  of  Navarre,  and,  after 
several  changes  of  owners,  came  into  the  possession  of  Fran- 
cois I,  by  whom  it  was  placed  at  Fontainebleau.  When  it 
reached  Versailles  the  king  came  to  visit  it,  and  two  Grand 
Bourbons  were  then  face  to  face.  The  man  passed,  and  even 
his  bones,  torn  from  their  tomb  at  St.  Denis  and  tossed  into 
a  trench,  have  perished;  not  a  pinch  of  his  dust  remains. 
But  the  tree  lives  and  blooms  and  bears  fruit  ^ — the  only 
Bourbon  at  Versailles— serene,  invincible,  enthroned! 

^The  Grand-Bourbon  is  still  the  [times  with  more  than  two  hundred 
greenest  and  most  beautiful  tree  of  I  fruits.     Dussieux,  II,  p.  244. 
the    collection,    and    is    charged   atl 


100 


o 


IV 

THE   KITCHEN-GARDEN 

THE  King's  Kitchen-Garden,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Swiss  Lake,  consisted  of  a  large  square,  divided 
into  sixteen  compartments,  which  were  separated 
by  allees  bordered  by  fruit-walls.  In  the  center 
was  a  circular  basin,  and  on  the  four  sides  were  wide  ter- 
races, containing  thirty-one  small  gardens.  From  each  ter- 
race a  flight  of  steps  descended  to  the  central  square.  This 
garden  was  planted  from  1679  to  1682,  and  at  the  head  of  it 
was  the  famous  La  Quintinie,  who,  like  Le  Notre,  had  passed 
from  the  service  of  Fouquet  to  that  of  the  Grand  Monarch. 
His  post  brought  him  2000  livres,  as  Director  of  the  Kitchen- 
Gardens  of  the  King,  and  in  addition  he  received  4000  livres 
gratuity. 

La  Quintinie  had  talent,  and  made  the  royal  Kitchen-Gar- 
den a  model  for  gardeners  to  imitate  throughout  Europe. 
His  reputation  at  court  was  established  by  his  remarkable 
skill  in  the  cultivation  of  early  fruits  and  vegetables.  He 
gave  the  king  asparagus  and  fresh  sorrel  in  December;  rad- 
ishes, lettuce,  and  mushrooms  in  January;  cauliflower  in 
March;  strawberries  and  peas  in  April;  figs  and  melons  in 
June.  He  excelled,  too,  in  peaches;  for  when  he  found  that 
the  gardeners  of  Montreuil  produced  better  peaches  than  he 
had  done  hitherto  at  Versailles,  he  persuaded  one  of  them, 
Nicolas  Pepin,  to  come  and  work  in  the  Kitchen-Garden, 
and  from  this  man  he  learned  the  secrets  of  Montreuil.    The 

lOI 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

king  was  fond  of  talking  with  his  gardener,  who  had  much 
knowledge,  and  when  La  Quintinie  died  in  1688,  Louis,  with 
that  tact  which  never  failed  him,  addressed  the  widow  as 
follows :  "  Madame,  you  and  I  have  suffered  a  loss  that  we 
can  never  repair." 

The  fruit-walls  of  the  Kitchen-Garden  furnished  His  Maj- 
esty with  peaches,  cherries,  plums,  apricots,  pears,  and 
grapes,  but  figs  were  cultivated  more  extensively  than  these, 
for  they  were  the  king's  favorite  fruit.  All  the  products  of 
the  Kitchen-Garden,  however,  were  not  for  the  royal  table. 
A  part  was  set  aside  for  the  public,  and  in  the  Rue  du  Potager 
there  was  a  small  building  called  he  Public,  in  which  several 
people  were  employed  in  distributing  fruits  and  vegetables 
to  those  who  came  to  ask  for  them. 

While  La  Quintinie  lived,  the  king  went  frequently  to 
walk  in  his  Kitchen-Garden,*  and  Dangeau  tells  us  that  on 
such  occasions  His  Majesty  usually  permitted  those  who  ac- 
companied him  to  pluck  and  eat  the  fruit.  All  strangers 
of  distinction  who  came  to  Versailles  visited  the  garden  of 
La  Quintinie;  among  others  the  Doge  of  Genoa  in  May, 
1685,  and  the  ambassadors  of  Siam  in  October,  1686. 

*  At  the  present  time  the  Kitchen-Garden  has  been  transformed  into 
a  School  of  Horticulture  and  is  kept  up  by  the  state. 


102 


THE   MENAGERIE 

THE  Menagerie,  of  which  now  only  a  few  ruins 
remain,  was  located  at  the  extremity  of  the  south- 
ern arm  of  the  grand  canal.  As  early  as  1663 
the  king  had  begun  to  build  there,  and  to  transform 
the  small  hunting-pavilion,  erected  by  his  father,  into  some- 
thing more  pretentious.  But  without  enumerating  the  vari- 
ous changes  which  the  Menagerie  underwent  during  a  period 
of  more  than  twenty-five  years,  let  us  pass  at  once  to  what 
it  was  at  its  best. 

From  the  principal  entrance,  placed  at  the  end  of  the  road 
extending  through  the  park  from  the  basin  of  Apollo,  a  long 
avenue,  lined  by  trees  and  walls  inclosing  gardens,  led  to  the 
gates  of  the  courtyard  of  the  chateau;  to  the  right  of  the 
gates  was  a  chapel.  The  small  chateau  consisted  of  two 
pavilions,  projecting  beyond  a  central  portion  which  was 
almost  square,  and  had  behind  it  a  short  gallery  leading  to 
a  large  octagonal  salon,  so  that  the  form  of  the  whole  cha- 
teau was  very  much  that  of  the  letter  X  reversed.  In  the 
center  of  the  building  a  handsome  staircase  led  to  the  apart- 
ments on  the  first  floor,  five  on  either  side  of  the  landing. 
In  summer  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  used  the  apartments 
on  the  right,  and  in  winter  those  on  the  left.  The  rooms 
on  the  ground  floor  were  for  servants  and  guards.  The 
octagonal  salon  at  the  end  of  the  gallery  was  surmounted 
by  a  dome  and  lighted  by  seven  large  windows,  looking  on 

103 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

all  sides  on  the  courts  of  the  animals.  In  this  apartment  the 
king  often  dined  when  he  came  to  walk  at  the  Menagerie. 
All  the  apartments  were  decorated  with  much  taste.  The 
chimneypieces  were  made  of  the  rarest  marbles  and  orna- 
mented with  bronzes  and  gilded  mirrors ;  the  salon  was  hung 
with  pictures  of  flowers  and  animals  painted  by  Desportes; 
Audran  had  adorned  the  ceilings ;  Dugoulon  had  carved  the 
woodwork.  There  was  no  bedchamber,  for  the  chateau  was 
intended  simply  as  a  house  in  which  to  give  a  collation  or  a 
supper.  A  balcony  with  a  beautiful  railing  of  gilded  iron 
surrounded  the  salon,  on  a  level  with  the  windows  of  the 
first  floor,  and  from  it  one  could  see  with  ease  the  animals 
in  their  respective  courts. 

These  courts  were  arranged  as  follows :  On  the  right  of  the 
chateau  came  first  the  garden  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 
at  the  end  of  which  were  two  handsome  pavilions,  and  be- 
tween them  the  dairy ;  then  followed  in  order  the  aviary  and 
its  court,  the  court  of  the  pelicans,  the  court  of  the  deer, 
the  court  of  the  ostriches,  the  court  of  the  bear-pits.  Be- 
hind these  symmetrical  courts,  which  faced  the  windows  of 
the  octagonal  salon,  were  a  number  of  other  buildings  and 
courts,  containing  a  lion  and  other  wild  beasts,  an  extensive 
pigeon-house,  a  large  court  for  chickens  and  turkeys,  and  a 
farm  for  cows  and  horses.  The  aviary  was  the  finest  in 
France;  the  pigeon-house  held  more  than  three  thousand 
pigeons;  and  in  the  Menagerie  there  were  swans,  ostriches, 
pelicans,  peacocks,  herons,  Egyptian  ducks,  rare  birds  of 
every  sort,  wolves,  foxes,  deer,  gazelles,  cows  from  Flanders 
and  Holland,  horses,  lions,  and  an  elephant. 

The  young  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  loved  the  little  chateau 
of  the  Menagerie,  where  she  amused  herself  and  as  far  as 
possible  left  the  etiquette  of  the  court  behind  her  at  the  gates. 
In  1698  the  king  gave  her  the  Menagerie,  and  had  the  cha- 
teau refurnished  and   redecorated   in  accordance  with   her 

104 


Plan  II 


Tenuce  of  the  ChAieau 


I'bn  uf  the  GariJcns  ui  VcrsailU- 


The  Menagerie 


ideas.  She  was  delighted  to  have  a  domain  of  her  own,  and 
came  there  constantly  to  walk  or  to  sup  with  her  ladies. 
The  king  came  also  to  please  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne. 
On  the  1 2th  of  March,  1703,  we  find  him  there  with  the 
Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  and  the  Due  du  Maine, 
and  on  the  following  day  he  returned,  accompanied  by  the 
Dauphin,  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and  the 
Due  de  Berry.  He  came  frequently  in  1704,  and  on  the  21st 
of  December,  1705,  he  walked  there  in  a  snow-storm.  On 
the  loth  of  August,  1707,  he  showed  the  Menagerie  in 
detail  to  the  Queen  of  England,  who  had  not  yet  seen  it,  and 
supped  there  the  same  evening  with  the  queen,  with  her  son, 
whom  they  called  at  Versailles  the  King  of  England,  with 
the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and  with  the  Due  de  Berry. 
This  was  the  last  time  that  Louis  XIV  visited  the  Menagerie.* 

^  Under    Louis    XV    and    Louis  jority   of  the    animals    were   trans- 

XVI  the  Menagerie  was  out  of  fa-  ported  to  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  in 

vor  and  out  of  fashion,  though  it  Paris,     and     the     remainder     were 

was  still  kept  up.    In  1793  the  ma-  killed. 


105 


VI 
TRIANON 

IN  1663  the  king  purchased  the  land  and  village  of  Tri- 
anon, near  the  gardens  of  Versailles,  tore  down  the 
houses,  and  added  the  land  to  the  royal  park.  In  1670 
he  built  there,  in  honor  of  Madame  de  Montespan,  a 
charming  little  house  of  porcelain,  and  laid  out  a  handsome 
garden.  It  was  a  place  in  which  to  give  collations  to  the 
court,  and  was  in  favor  for  some  years;  but  in  1687  the  king, 
who  had  grown  weary  both  of  the  Marquise  de  Montespan 
and  of  the  house  erected  in  her  honor,  and  who  had  married 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  ordered  Mansart  to  demolish  the 
Trianon  of  porcelain  and  to  construct  a  new  Trianon. 

This  chateau  of  marble  stands  near  the  extremity  of  the 
northern  arm  of  the  grand  canal,  and  faces  the  Avenue  de 
Trianon,  which  runs,  outside  the  gardens  of  Versailles,  from 
the  courtyard  of  Trianon  to  the  basin  of  Neptune.  It  is  a 
building  in  the  Italian  style,  one  story  in  height,  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  balustrade  which,  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV, 
was  adorned  with  statues  and  vases.  On  approaching  by  the 
Avenue  de  Trianon  one  sees  on  three  sides  of  a  square  court- 
yard the  yellow  walls  of  the  chateau,  with  their  pilasters  of 
reddish  marble  between  all  the  windows.  To  the  right  and 
left  of  the  gates  are  moats,  now  dry,  which  are  surrounded 
by  stone  balustrades ;  and  in  front  of  the  balustrades  stand 
orange-trees  in  tubs.  Trianon  is  much  larger  than  it  ap- 
pears to   be   at  the  first   glance,   for   beyond   the  building 

106 


Trianon 

at  the  left  of  the  main  courtyard  there  is  a  second  court- 
yard with  buildings  on  all  four  sides,  while  the  wing  to 
the  right  of  the  main  courtyard,  in  which  the  king  lodged, 
is  joined  at  the  further  end  to  another  wing,  called  Trianon- 
sous-Bois,  by  a  long  gallery  running  west.  Trianon-sous- 
Bois  and  the  gallery,  therefore,  have  the  form  of  the  letter 
L,  the  gallery  being  the  base.  Thus  the  part  of  the  chateau 
which  one  sees  on  approaching  the  courtyard  is  not  more 
than  one  fourth  of  Trianon. 

Early  in  1687  an  army  of  workmen  and  sculptors,  with- 
drawn for  the  time  being  from  Versailles,  were  sent  to  Tria- 
non, and  the  works  were  pushed  vigorously,  for  Louis  was 
anxious  to  have  his  new  palace  completed.  He  came  him- 
self on  the  13th  of  November,  with  Madame  de  Maintenon, 
to  inspect  the  structure,  which  he  found  much  advanced  and 
very  beautiful.  On  the  5th  of  December  he  returned,  and 
spent  several  hours  there,  and  was  well  pleased  with  all  he 
saw.  On  another  occasion  he  was  not  well  pleased,  and, 
according  to  Saint-Simon,  his  dissatisfaction  with  a  certain 
window  in  the  rising  walls  of  Trianon  set  in  motion  forces 
that  afifected  politics : 

"The  king,  who  liked  building,  and  who  had  cast  ofif  all 
his  mistresses,  had  pulled  down  the  little  porcelain  Trianon 
he  had  made  for  Madame  de  Montespan,  and  was  rebuilding 
it  in  the  form  it  still  retains.  One  day  he  perceived,  for  his 
glance  was  most  searching,  that  one  window  was  a  trifle 
narrower  than  the  others.  He  showed  it  to  Louvois,  who 
was  then  Minister  of  War  and  also  Superintendent  of  Build- 
ings, in  order  that  it  might  be  altered,  which,  as  it  was  not 
then  finished,  was  easy  to  do.  Louvois  maintained  that  the 
window  was  correct.  The  king  insisted  then,  and  on  the 
morrow  also,  but  Louvois,  obstinate  and  inflated  with  his 
authority,  would  not  yield. 

"  The  next  day  the  king  saw  Le  Notre  in  the  gallery  at 

107 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Versailles.  Although  his  trade  was  gardens  rather  than 
houses,  the  king  did  not  fail  to  consult  him  upon  the  latter. 
He  asked  him  if  he  had  been  to  Trianon.  Le  Notre  replied 
that  he  had  not.  The  king  ordered  him  to  go.  On  the  mor- 
row he  saw  Le  Notre  again;  same  question,  same  answer. 
The  king  comprehended  the  reason  of  this,  and,  a  little  an- 
noyed, commanded  him  to  be  there  that  afternoon  at  a  given 
hour.  This  time  Le  Notre  did  not  dare  to  disobey.  The 
king  arrived,  and  Louvois  being  present,  they  returned  to 
the  subject  of  the  window,  which  Louvois  obstinately  said 
was  as  broad  as  the  rest.  The  king  wished  Le  Notre  to 
measure  it,  for  he  knew  that,  upright  and  true,  he  would  say 
openly  what  he  found.  Louvois,  piqued,  grew  angry.  The 
king,  who  was  not  less  so,  allowed  him  to  say  his  say.  Le 
Notre,  meanwhile,  did  not  stir.  At  last  the  king  made  him 
go,  Louvois  still  grumbling  and  maintaining  his  assertion 
with  audacity  and  little  measure.  Le  Notre  measured  the 
window,  and  said  that  the  king  was  right  by  several  inches. 
Louvois  still  wished  to  argue,  but  the  king  cut  him  short, 
and  commanded  him  to  see  that  the  window  was  altered 
at  once,  and,  contrary  to  his  usual  moderation,  blamed  him 
very  severely.  What  annoyed  Louvois  most  was  the  fact  that 
this  scene  took  place  not  only  before  all  the  officers  of  the 
Buildings,  but  also  in  the  presence  of  all  who  followed  the 
king  in  his  promenades,  nobles,  courtiers,  officers  of  the 
guards,  and  others,  even  all  the  valets.  The  dressing  given 
Louvois  was  severe  and  long,  mixed  with  reflections  upon 
the  fault  of  this  window,  which,  had  it  not  been  noticed  in 
time,  might  have  spoiled  all  the  facade  and  compelled  it  to 
be  rebuilt. 

"  Louvois,  who  was  not  accustomed  to  be  treated  thus, 
returned  home  in  fury  and  like  a  man  in  despair.  His  friends 
were  frightened,  and  in  their  disquietude  angled  to  learn 
what  had  happened.    At  last  he  told  them,  said  he  was  lost, 

1 08 


i 


.r  '\\'\\ 


>N 


Trianon 

and  that  for  a  few  inches  the  king  forgot  all  his  services, 
which  had  led  to  so  many  conquests.  He  declared  that  hence- 
forth he  would  leave  the  trowel  to  the  king,  bring  about  a 
war,  and  so  arrange  matters  that  the  king  should  have  good 
need  of  him !  He  soon  kept  his  word.  He  caused  a  war  to 
grow  out  of  the  affair  of  the  double  election  of  Cologne,  of 
the  Prince  of  Bavaria,  and  of  the  Cardinal  of  Furstemberg. 
He  confirmed  it  in  carrying  the  flames  into  the  Palatinate."  ^ 
Such  is  the  famous  story  concerning  the  window  of  Trianon. 
In  November,  1688,  Trianon  was  finished  and  magnifi- 
cently furnished,  but  the  beds  were  not  put  in  place  until 
169 1 ;  after  that  date  the  king  could  sleep  at  Trianon  when- 
ever he  chose.  All  the  furniture  was  covered  with  crimson 
damask  bordered  with  gold.  In  the  center  of  the  chateau 
an  open  vestibule,^  ornamented  with  beautiful  marble  col- 
umns, separated  the  main  courtyard  from  the  gardens,  and 
connected  the  two  principal  parts  of  the  palace.  In  summer 
this  vestibule  was  sometimes  used  by  Louis  XIV  as  a  dining- 
room.  To  the  left  of  the  vestibule,'  on  the  side  facing  the 
garden,  were  the  apartments  of  Monseigneur,  and  also  the 
salon  of  the  Chapel,  which  contained  an  altar,  and  the  salon 
of  the  Nobles.  The  apartments  of  Monseigneur,  the  three 
rooms  furthest  from  the  vestibule,  consisted  of  the  salon  of 
Mirrors,  the  decorations  of  which  cost  10,500  livres,  and  the 
bedchamber  and  antechamber  of  Monseigneur.  Behind  the 
five  apartments  just  mentioned  was  the  court  of  the  Offices, 
which  was  surrounded  by  buildings  in  which  the  officers  of 
the  Household  were  lodged.  To  the  right  of  the  vestibule, 
in  the  wing  on  the  north  side  of  the  main  courtyard,  were 
the  king's  apartments,  the  first  of  which,  the  salon  of  Col- 
umns, adjoined  the  vestibule,  and  opened  on  the  east  side 
into  the  king's  antechamber,  and  on  the  north  into  the  apart- 

^  Saint-Simon,  II,  pp.  83-85.  closed    now    by    windows    between 

"  The  arches  of  the  vestibule  are   the  columns. 

109 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

ments  of  the  north  wing.  Behind  the  royal  antechamber  was 
the  king's  bedchamber,  and  behind  that  three  small  cabinets 
and  a  large  cabinet,  called  the  cabinet  of  the  Council ;  the 
windows  of  the  latter  are  those  seen  on  the  right  as  one 
approaches  Trianon  from  Versailles.  The  windows  of  the 
king's  bedchamber  looked  out  on  one  side  on  the  courtyard, 
and  on  the  other  on  the  small  ornamental  garden  called  the 
Jardin  du  Roi.  The  north  wing  contained  ten  handsome 
apartments,  five  facing  the  Jardin  du  Roi  and  five  looking 
on  the  large  parterre  behind  the  palace.  Those  facing  the 
Jardin  du  Roi  were  occupied  by  Madame  de  Maintenon,  but 
to-day  they  retain  no  traces  of  that  fact,  for  they  are  filled 
with  furniture  of  the  First  Empire,  the  souvenirs  of  their 
most  famous  royal  and  imperial  occupant.  Napoleon  I.  Un- 
der the  Grand  Monarch  the  gallery  leading  from  the  north 
wing  to  Trianon-sous-Bois  was  decorated  with  paintings  ^ 
by  Cotelle,  Allegrain,  and  Martin,  representing  views  of  the 
chateau  and  gardens  of  Versailles.  As  for  Trianon-sous- 
Bois,  so  called  because  the  grove  which  adjoined  it  was  a 
small  ornamental  wood,  it  contained  a  number  of  little  apart- 
ments which  served  as  lodgings  for  the  king's  brother,  M. 
le  Due  d'Orleans,  and  his  wife,  and  for  the  king's  grandsons 
and  granddaughters-in-law,  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne  and  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Berry.  On  the  22d  of 
January,  1688,  the  king  dined  for  the  first  time  in  his  new 
chateau,  in  company  with  Monseigneur  and  Madame  de 
Maintenon. 

The  gardens  of  Trianon  contained,  and  still  contain,  bos- 
quets and  fountains,  though  much  has  been  changed  since 
the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  From  the  terrace  two  splendid  stone 
staircases  descend  to  the  grand  canal.  In  both  terrace  and 
gardens  there  were  jets  of  water  as  at  Versailles.  Mansart 
had  designed  the  gardens  of  Trianon,  and  flowers  abounded 
^  Many  of  these  paintings  are  now  in  the  Chateau  of  Versailles. 

110 


Trianon 

there,  all  the  flowers  of  France,  and  rare  plants  from  Switzer- 
land, from  Constantinople,  and  from  Persia.  "  One  sum- 
mer," says  Saint-Simon,  "  the  king  took  to  going  very  often 
in  the  evening  to  Trianon,  and  gave  permission  once  for  all 
to  all  the  court,  men  and  women,  to  follow  him.  There  was 
a  grand  collation  for  the  princesses,  his  daughters,  who  took 
their  friends  there,  and  indeed  all  the  women  went  to  it  if 
they  pleased.  .  .  .  Nothing  was  ever  more  magnificent  than 
these  soirees  of  Trianon.  All  the  flowers  of  the  parterres 
were  renewed  every  day;  and  I  have  seen  the  king  and  all 
the  court  obliged  to  go  away  because  of  the  tuberoses,  the 
odor  of  which  perfumed  the  air,  but  so  powerfully  on  account 
of  their  quantity  that  nobody  could  remain  in  the  garden, 
although  very  vast,  and  stretching  like  a  terrace  all  along  the 
canal."  ^ 

There  were  from  time  to  time  splendid  fetes  at  Trianon, 
but  Dangeau  has  left  one  picture  of  the  royal  family  at 
Trianon,  in  the  summer  of  1699,  with  which  it  may  be  well 
to  close  the  chapter.  Under  date  of  July  10,  1699,  he  writes : 
"  At  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  king  went  to  walk  in  the 
gardens  of  Trianon,  and  after  promenading  for  some  time 
he  stopped  on  the  terrace,  that  looks  toward  the  canal,  and 
watched  Monseigneur,  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and 
all  the  princesses,  embark.  Monseigneur  was  in  a  gondola 
with  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  Mme.  la  Princesse  de 
Conti.  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was  in  another  with 
the  ladies  she  had  named;  in  others  were  Mme.  la  Duchesse 
de  Chartres  and  Mme.  la  Duchesse.^  All  the  king's  musi- 
cians were  on  board  a  yacht.  The  king  ordered  chairs  to  be 
brought  to  the  balustrade,  and  remained  there  until  eight 
o'clock,  listening  to  the  music.  When  the  king  returned  to 
the  chateau,  those  on  the  gondolas  crossed  the  canal  and  did 

^  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  253. 
'  Daughters  of  Louis  XIV  and  Madame  de  Montespan. 

Ill 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

not  return  to  the  chateau  until  the  hour  for  supper.  The 
king  at  first  had  wished  to  embark,  but  as  he  had  some  ten- 
dency to  rheumatism,  M.  Fagon  advised  him  not  to  do  so, 
although  the  weather  was  very  fine.  After  supper  Mon- 
seigneur  and  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  walked  in  the 
gardens  until  midnight.  Monseigneur  then  went  to  bed,  but 
Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  and  Mme.  la  Duchesse, 
entering  gondolas  with  some  of  their  ladies,  remained  on 
the  canal  until  break  of  day.  Mme.  la  Duchesse  then  went 
to  bed,  but  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  waited  for  Ma- 
dame de  Maintenon  to  set  out  for  St.  Cyr ;  she  saw  her  enter 
her  carriage  at  seven  o'clock,  and  then  went  to  bed,  without 
appearing  to  be  fatigued  after  having  been  up  all  night. 
Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne,  who  had  returned  to  Versailles, 
walked  in  the  gardens  there  until  morning,  and  then  went 
to  play  at  mall  at  six  o'clock." 

Thus  we  see  how  the  royal  family  enjoyed  Trianon  in  a 
simple  fashion  during  the  soft  nights  of  summer.  In  the 
closing  years  of  his  life  Louis  XIV  preferred  Marly  to  all 
his  palaces.  He  seldom  slept  at  Trianon,  coming  there 
simply  to  promenade.  On  the  nth  of  August,  1715,  he 
walked  in  the  gardens  for  the  last  time. 

Since  1766  the  Trianon  of  Louis  XIV  has  been  called  the 
Grand  Trianon  to  distinguish  it  from  the  Little  Trianon, 
erected  by  Louis  XV. 


112 


VII 
THE  PARKS 

THE  Small  Park  of  Versailles,  beyond  the  gardens, 
still  exists,  with  its  walls  pierced  by  sixteen  gates. 
It  extends  over  about  six  thousand  acres,  and  con- 
tains the  Swiss  Lake  to  the  south  of  the  chateau, 
and  the  wood  of  Satory,  the  grand  canal,  the  Menagerie,  the 
palace  and  gardens  of  Trianon,  and  the  wood  of  Cerf- Volant. 
It  abounds  in  fine  roads  and  splendid  trees,  and  under  Louis 
XIV  it  was  well  stocked  with  small  game  for  the  shooting 
parties  of  the  king. 

The  Large  Park  was  begun  in  1668,  at  which  time  they 
commenced  to  make  roads  and  plant  trees.  In  1677  ^^^ 
king  bought  several  tracts  of  land  to  complete  his  park,  and 
ordered  the  whole  to  be  surrounded  by  walls.  The  walls 
were  completed,  and  the  gates  placed,  in  1685.  There  were 
twenty-five  gates,  many  of  which  still  exist,  and  at  each 
was  a  pavilion  which  served  as  a  lodging  for  the  Swiss  soldier 
who  guarded  it.  The  Large  Park  covered  more  than  24,000 
acres,  and  contained  fifteen  villages,  many  farms,  and  many 
hunting-pavilions.  On  the  22d  of  August  the  king  visited 
various  parts  of  his  new  park,  and  found  the  walls  well 
advanced.  This  park  contained  a  breeding-place  for  pheas- 
ants that  in  itself  covered  as  much  ground  as  the  gardens 
of  Versailles.  The  Large  Park  abounded  in  game  of  all 
kinds.  They  chased  the  stag  there,  and  the  rabbit.  The 
number  of  pheasants  was  prodigious.    "  Never  have  I  seen," 

«  113 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

says  Dangeau,  under  date  of  November  i8,  1707,  "  so  many 
pheasants  in  the  air.  The  king  shot  a  large  number,  and 
gave  them  to  the  ladies  who  accompanied  the  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne."  At  Marly  the  wall  of  the  Large  Park  of  Ver- 
sailles separated  that  park  from  the  park  of  Marly,  for  Marly 
had  a  game-stocked  park  of  its  own.  In  his  parks,  as  else- 
where, the  king  loved  to  make  changes  and  embellishments. 
On  the  8th  of  December,  1685,  he  shut  himself  up  with  M. 
de  la  Rochefoucauld,  the  grand  huntsman,  in  order  to  con- 
sider the  plan  of  the  Large  Park  of  Versailles,^  and  to  see 
if  anything  further  was  needed  to  make  it  more  attractive 
and  convenient  for  hunting  than  it  was  already.  Since  he 
had  at  command  such  a  hunting-establishment,  such  parks, 
such  quantities  of  game,  such  a  hunting-train,  so  varied,  so 
complete,  so  magnificently  appointed,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
the  Grand  Monarch  loved  the  chase. 

*  In  the  Revolution  the  Large  Park  of  Versailles  was  cut  up  and  sold. 


114 


VIII 
THE  COST  OF  VERSAILLES 

IT  is  not  easy  to  know  exactly  the  cost  of  the  Versailles 
of  Louis  XIV.  However,  by  means  of  the  Comptes  des 
Bdtiments  and  other  official  documents,  it  is  possible 
to  arrive  at  a  result  so  careful  and  exact  that  for  all  in- 
tents and  purposes  it  may  be  considered  final.  M.  Eckard,  in 
his  Supplement  aux  Recherches  Historiques  sur  Versailles, 
has  reached  such  a  result.  The  sum  total  is  116,438,892  livres 
in  the  money  of  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  To  find  present 
values  the  livre  must  be  multiplied  by  five,  which  would 
make  the  sum  total  to-day  about  500,000,000  francs,  or 
$100,000,000.     Eckard  divides  the  sum  total  as  follows : 

Expenses  prior  to  1664 1,500,000  livres 

Expenses  from  1664  to  1690 87,537,989      " 

Expenses  of  the  chapel  (1699-1710)  ....  3,260,342      " 

Expenses  of  Marly  (1679-90) 4,501,279      " 

Sums  paid  for  furniture,  paintings,  stuffs 
of  gold  and  silver,  and  products  of  gold- 
smiths and  silversmiths,  etc 19,639,282      " 

116,438,892  livres 

In  that  important  memorandum  concerning  the  expenses 
of  Versailles  which  was  made  for  Mansart  by  an  officer  in 
his  administration  named  Marinier,  there  are  some  interest- 
ing details  as  to  the  expenditures  from  1664  to  1690,  which, 

115 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

in  the  account  above,  are  given  in  the  lump  sum  of  87,537,- 
989  livres.    These  details  are  as  follows : 

For  the  purchase  of  lands 5,912,104  livres 

For  buildings  and  works  in  the  park ....  48,446,768 

For  mirrors  and  crystals 221,631 

For  sculptures 2,696,070 

For  paintings  and  antiques 509,073 

For  stuffs  of  gold  and  silver 1*075,673 

For  products  of  the  goldsmiths'  art,  etc.. .  3,245,759 

For  medals  and  objects  of  art 556,069 

It  is  necessary  to  notice  that  in  the  sum  total  given  by  Eck- 
ard  the  expenses  of  Marly,  and  of  Clagny,  the  splendid  cha- 
teau built  by  the  king  for  Madame  de  Montespan,  are  in- 
cluded. Marly  is  placed  at  4,501,279  livres,  and  we  know 
that  Clagny  cost  2,074,592  livres.  It  seems  proper  to  de- 
duct these  sums  from  the  sum  total  of  Versailles.  As  for 
the  machine  of  Marly  (costing  3,674,864  livres),  and  the 
immense  works  undertaken  to  bring  the  river  Eure  to  Ver- 
sailles (costing  8,612,995  livres),  though  neither  were  at 
Versailles,  the  expense  was  incurred  to  secure  water  for  the 
gardens,  and  may  therefore  be  rightly  counted  in  the  cost 
of  the  latter.^ 

To-day  the  state  spends  from  600,000  to  650,000  francs 
each  year  to  keep  up  the  palace  and  park  of  Versailles. 

*  Both  these  items  are  included  in  the  sum  total  given  by  Eckard. 


116 


Plan  III 


Plan  of  the  Palace,  Park,  and  Town  of  Versailles  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV  and  Louis  XV 


IX 

THE   MEANING   OF   VERSAILLES 

WHAT,  then,  was  Versailles?  Was  it  simply 
a  huge  palace,  surrounded  on  one  side  by- 
splendid  gardens,  and  on  the  other  by  a 
stately  town  ?  It  was  that  and  more. 
Colbert  had  tried  to  keep  the  king  in  Paris  at  the  Louvre. 
But  Louis  could  not  be  the  king  he  wished  to  be  at  the 
Louvre.  He  had  dreamed  a  dream,  he  had  formed  a  policy, 
and  to  realize  them  both  he  needed  Versailles.  To-day  the 
doctrine  of  the  divine  right  of  kings  is  an  anachronism,  but 
in  Louis's  time  it  was  a  living  force  in  the  world.  At  the 
death  of  Mazarin,  on  the  9th  of  March,  1661,  Louis  had 
addressed  his  ministers  and  secretaries  as  follows :  "  In  fu- 
ture, gentlemen,  I  shall  be  my  own  prime  minister."  The 
court  heard  these  words  with  astonishment;  but  France, 
weary  of  civil  strife  and  political  dissensions,  distrusting  her 
nobility  and  loyal  to  her  sovereign,  France  heard  Louis's 
words,  and  applauded  them,  and  cried  with  joy,  "  A  king! " 
Richelieu  and  Mazarin  had  paved  a  wide  way  for  the  royal 
chariot,  and  when,  in  1661,  Louis  took  the  reins  in  his  own 
hands,  what  stood  between  him  and  absolutism?  Nothing 
but  the  fragments  of  power  possessed  by  the  nobility.  Riche- 
lieu, it  is  true,  had  broken  their  haughty  front,  and  the 
Fronde  had  revealed  their  weakness  to  the  world;  but  they 
were  still  at  the  parting  of  the  ways.  They  might  seek  to 
recover  their  lost  strength,  or  the  king,  if  he  took  the  in- 

117 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

itiative,  might  mold  them  to  his  will.  Louis  comprehended 
this,  and,  with  that  perception  and  perseverance  which  dis- 
tinguished him,  he  advanced,  amid  the  applause  of  France, 
to  crush  the  nobles.  To  bring  the  higher  nobility  completely 
within  his  grasp,  two  things  were  essential :  first,  that  they 
should  all  reside  at  court  and  form  the  king's  permanent 
retinue,  and,  second,  that  they  should  serve  regularly  in  the 
royal  army,  a  thing  quite  contrary  to  their  habits  and  pre- 
tensions. To  carry  out  the  first  part  of  Louis's  plan,  Ver- 
sailles, or  its  equivalent,  was  an  absolute  necessity.  The 
Louvre,  in  the  center  of  Paris,  was  out  of  the  question. 

Thus  the  Chateau  of  Versailles,  with  its  vast  salons,  with 
its  countless  lodgings  for  courtiers,  with  its  numerous  de- 
pendencies, rose,  and  spread  itself  in  the  sunshine.  With 
it  rose  the  town  of  Versailles  and  the  hotels  of  the  nobility. 
In  the  Rue  des  Reservoirs  were  the  hotels  de  Richelieu,  de 
Crequi,  de  Conde,  du  Lude,  and  de  Soissons;  in  the  Rue 
de  la  Pompe,  the  hotels  de  Noailles,  de  Toulouse,  de  Livry, 
du  Plessis,  and  de  Duras;  in  the  Avenue  de  St.  Cloud,  the 
hotels  de  Gesvres,  de  Guise,  d'Estrees,  and  de  Saint-Simon. 
These  are  but  three  streets  out  of  many.  The  days  of  castle- 
life  and  cabals  in  the  provinces  were  over.  The  local  domi- 
nation of  the  great  lords  was  done.  Their  resources  were 
swallowed  up  by  the  increasing  luxury  of  the  court,  and  each 
year  they  became  more  and  more  dependent  on  the  royal 
bounty.  From  the  windows  of  His  magnificent  Galerie  des 
Glaces,  the  Grand  Monarch  saw  a  horizon  that  was  his  own 
work;  but  within  that  gallery  of  Versailles  he  saw  daily, 
what  was  vastly  more  important,  the  French  nobility  at 
his  feet.  "  He  looked  to  right  and  to  left,"  says  Saint-Simon, 
"  not  only  upon  rising  and  upon  going  to  bed,  but  at  his 
meals,  in  passing  through  his  apartments,  or  his  gardens  of 
Versailles,  where  alone  the  courtiers  were  allowed  to  follow 
him.     He  saw  and  noticed  everybody;  not  one  escaped  him, 

ii8 


The  Meaning  of  Versailles 


not  even  those  who  hoped  to  remain  unnoticed.  He  marked 
well  all  absentees  from  court,  found  out  the  reason  of  their 
absence,  and  never  lost  an  opportunity  of  acting  toward  them 
as  the  occasion  might  seem  to  justify.  With  some  of  the 
courtiers,  the  most  distinguished,  it  was  a  demerit  not  to 
make  the  court  their  ordinary  abode;  with  others  it  was  a 
fault  to  come  but  rarely;  for  those  who  never  or  scarcely 
ever  came  it  was  certain  disgrace.  When  their  names  were 
mentioned  in  any  way,  '  I  do  not  know  them,'  the  king  would 
reply  haughtily.  Those  who  presented  themselves  but  sel- 
dom were  thus  characterized :  '  They  are  people  I  never  see.' 
These  decrees  were  irrevocable."  ^ 

Versailles,  therefore,  was  a  policy  and  a  system  of  govern- 
ment.   Versailles  was  more  than  a  palace :  it  was  a  world. 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  364. 


119 


X 

THE  FETES  OF  VERSAILLES 

THE  grand  fetes  of  Versailles  took  place  between 
1663  and  1674,  before  Versailles  became  the  seat 
of  government,  while  both  Versailles  and  the  court, 
in  fact,  were  in  transition.  During  the  period 
mentioned  some  seven  or  eight  fetes,  each  lasting  several 
days,  were  given  in  succeeding  years,  but  only  three  will 
be  described  here. 

THE  FETE  OF   1664 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1664,  the  court,  numbering  six  hun- 
dred persons,  arrived  at  Versailles  to  remain  until  the  14th. 
Louis  was  to  give  a  fete,  ostensibly  in  honor  of  his  mother, 
Anne  of  Austria,  and  of  his  wife,  Marie  Therese,  but  in 
reality  in  honor  of  Mile,  de  la  Valliere.  In  1662  he  had  held 
in  her  honor  his  carrousel  in  the  courtyard  of  the  Tuileries; 
he  was  to  offer  her  now  one  of  the  finest  fetes  he  ever  gave. 
Its  organization  was  under  the  charge  of  the  Due  de  Saint- 
Aignan,  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber.  Lulli  had  com- 
posed the  music,  Moliere  and  his  troupe  were  to  play  the 
comedies,  Vigarani  had  arranged  the  decorations,  illumina- 
tions, and  fireworks.  The  fete  lasted  three  days,  the  7th,  8th, 
and  9th  of  May,  and  its  subject,  taken  from  Cantos  VI  and 
VII  of  Roland  Furieux,  represented  Roger  in  the  island  and 
palace  of  the  enchantress  Alcina.     The  role  of  Roger  was 

120 


The  Fetes  of  Versailles 


played  by  the  King  of  France;  the  other  roles,  by  the  chief 
nobles  of  the  court. 

On  the  first  day  they  held,  in  a  circus  of  verdure  placed 
at  the  entrance  to  the  Royal  Allee,  and  covering  a  large  part 
of  what  is  now  the  parterre  of  Latona,  a  running  at  the  ring. 
The  fete  opened  with  a  flourish  of  trumpets,  and  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  Paladins,  who  entered  the  circus  by  four 
large  arches  of  verdure :  the  King  of  France  as  Roger,  the 
Due  de  Noailles,  the  Due  de  Guise,  the  Due  de  Foix,  the 
Comte  d'Armagnac,  the  Marquis  de  Soyecourt,  and  others, 
as  the  Paladins  of  Charlemagne,  all  clad  in  brilliant  habits, 
glittering  with  precious  stones,  and  magnificently  mounted. 
The  cavalcade  passed  round  the  circle  before  the  two  queens 
and  the  ladies  of  the  court.  The  Paladins  were  followed  by 
a  huge  car,  twenty-four  feet  long,  fifteen  feet  wide,  and  eigh- 
teen feet  high,  carved  and  gilded  and  painted  in  striking  col- 
ors, the  chariot  of  Apollo,  on  which  Apollo  sat  enthroned, 
having  at  his  feet  the  four  Ages.  The  Age  of  Gold  was  rep- 
resented by  Madame  Moliere,  the  Age  of  Silver  by  Hubert, 
the  Age  of  Bronze  by  Mile,  de  Brie,  the  Age  of  Iron  by  Du 
Croisy,  all  having  their  proper  attributes.  Millet,  the  king's 
coachman,  dressed  as  Time,  drove  the  car,  which  was  drawn 
by  four  horses,  and  escorted  by  the  twelve  Hours,  the  twelve 
signs  of  the  Zodiac,  and  a  crowd  of  pages.  When  the  grand 
march  was  concluded,  the  running  at  the  ring  began.  The 
Marquis  de  la  Valliere  won  the  prize,  a  sword  of  gold  enriched 
with  diamonds,  and  received  it  from  the  hands  of  Anne  of 
Austria.  Night  came,  and  the  circus  of  verdure  was  lighted 
by  four  thousand  torches.  Lulli  appeared  with  his  musi- 
cians, and  the  Hours  and  the  signs  of  the  Zodiac,  who  danced 
in  a  charming  ballet.  The  hour  for  supper  arrived,  and  the 
four  Seasons,  followed  by  an  army  of  attendants,  entered  to 
announce  it.  First  rode  Spring,  Mile,  du  Pare,  in  a  habit 
of  green,  embroidered  with  silver  and  trimmed  with  natural 

121 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

flowers;  she  was  mounted  on  a  Spanish  horse.  Summer 
followed,  the  Sieur  du  Pare,  upon  an  elephant,  splendidly 
caparisoned.  Autumn,  the  Sieur  de  la  Thorilliere,  rode  upon 
a  camel;  Winter,  the  Sieur  Bejard,  upon  a  bear.  Their  at- 
tendants carried  baskets  of  fruits  and  flowers.  Diana  ap- 
peared, and  Pan,  no  other  than  Moliere  himself,  each  in  turn 
addressing  a  compliment  in  verse  to  the  Queen  of  France. 
A  retinue  of  pages  bore  the  collation  to  the  tables  of  the 
royal  family  and  of  the  courtiers.  At  the  center  of  the  largest 
table,  crescent-shaped  and  crowded,  sat  the  queen-mother, 
with  the  king  at  her  right  hand,  and  the  queen  at  her  left. 
Under  a  clear  sky  and  quiet  stars  the  torches  in  the  circus 
of  verdure  flashed  afar,  lighting  the  faces  of  thousands  of 
good  Parisians,  on  the  terrace  of  Versailles,  who  had  come 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  their  magnificent  monarch,  and  stood 
staring  at  a  wilderness  of  splendor. 
\^  On  the  second  day  the  amusement  was  comedy.  A  theater 
had  been  erected  in  a  salle  of  verdure  in  the  park,  and  hung 
with  tapestries  which  prevented  the  breeze  from  reaching  the 
flames  of  the  torches  and  candles.  The  troupe  of  Moliere 
played  the  Princesse  d'Elide,  Moliere  himself  taking  the  role 
of  Moron.  The  actors  were  in  fancy  costumes,  and  the 
actresses  were  attended  by  pages,  who  carried  their  long 
trains.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  comedy  there  were  songs 
and  dances. 

For  the  third  day  another  theater  had  been  constructed, 
this  time  at  the  end  of  the  Royal  Allee,  including  the  basin 
of  Apollo.  Behind  the  basin  a  palace  of  Alcina  had  been 
constructed  as  a  background :  the  basin  formed  the  enchanted 
lake.  The  king  and  the  two  queens  sat  on  a  dais  facing 
the  basin,  with  the  lords  and  ladies  of  the  court  at  either  side. 
The  spectacle  began  with  a  concert,  conducted  by  Lulli,  and 
rendered  by  the  king's  musicians.  Alcina  then  appeared  in 
her  barge  on  the  enchanted  lake,  and  addressed  the  two 

122 


Louise  Frangoise  dc  la  Baume-le-BIanc,  Duchesse  de  la  Valliere 


The  Fetes  of  Versailles 


queens  in  verse.  When  she  waved  her  wand  her  enchanted 
palace,  thanks  to  the  skill  of  Vigarani,  stood  glittering  in 
lines  of  light.  Alcina's  subjects,  demons,  dwarfs,  and  giants, 
danced  a  brilliant  ballet,  after  which  Roger  (who  on  this 
occasion  was  not  the  king)  appeared  with  other  knights,  and 
prepared  to  storm  the  castle.  Alcina  rallied  her  subjects, 
but  since  Roger  had  the  ring  which  destroyed  enchantments, 
the  palace  vanished  in  a  whirlwind  of  fire.  This  display  of 
fireworks,  planned  by  Vigarani,  was  the  conclusion  of  the 
fete. 

On  the  following  day,  the  loth,  there  was  another  running 
at  the  ring,  this  time  in  the  moats  surrounding  the  chateau,^ 
and  the  court  watched  it  from  the  balconies.  His  Majesty 
won  the  prize,  but  left  it  to  be  gained  by  others.  Finally  the 
Due  de  Coislin  won  it,  and  received  the  diamond  from  the 
queen's  hand.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  nth,  Louis  took  the 
court  to  promenade  in  the  Menagerie,  and  in  the  evening 
Moliere  and  his  troupe  played  Les  Fdcheux  in  one  of  the 
salons  of  the  palace.  On  the  12th  there  was  a  lottery  with 
splendid  presents  for  the  ladies,  and  in  the  evening  Moliere 
gave  for  the  first  time  his  immortal  Tartuffe.  On  the  13th 
he  played  the  Mariage  Force,  and  on  the  14th  the  court  set 
out  for  Fontainebleau.  This  fete  of  1664  is  made  memorable, 
not  by  its  pomp  and  prodigious  splendor,  but  by  the  fact  that 
during  its  progress  Moliere  played  Tartuffe. 

THE   FETE   OF   1668 

After  the  peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Louis  decided  to  give 
a  grand  fete  in  his  gardens  of  Versailles.  Poor  La  Valliere, 
though  still  at  court,  was  loved  no  longer.  Madame  de  Mon- 
tespan  had  captured  the  king's  heart,  and  the  fete  of  1668  was 
given  in  her  honor.    The  Due  de  Crequi,  first  gentleman  of 

^  The  chateau  of  Louis  XIII.    The  new  chateau  had  not  been  built. 

123 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

the  Chamber,  and  the  Marechal  de  Bellefonds,  first  maitre 
d'hotel,  had  charge  of  its  organization.  Three  thousand  per- 
sons were  invited.  The  court  arrived  at  Versailles  from  St. 
Germain  on  the  21st  of  April. 

On  the  evening  of  the  22d  a  collation  was  served  in  the 
bosquet  of  the  Star,  which  had  been  splendidly  decorated 
for  the  occasion.  Then  the  court  went  to  the  theater,  con- 
structed by  Vigarani  on  the  site  of  the  present  basin  of 
Saturn,  Before  the  opera  the  king's  pages  offered  to  the 
ladies  oranges  and  fruits  of  all  kinds.  They  played  the  Fetes 
de  I' Amour  et  de  Bacchus,  an  opera  by  Quinault,  with  music 
by  Lulli,  and  after  it  George  Dandin,  a  new  piece  by  Moliere. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  performance  the  court  walked 
through  the  gardens  to  a  salon  of  verdure.^  Here  the  tables 
and  buffets  were  arranged  for  the  supper,  and  loaded  with 
flowers  and  fruits  in  massive  baskets  of  silver.  The  Gazette 
gives  a  long  description  of  this  salon  of  verdure,  in  which 
the  silver  products  of  the  Gobelins  abounded.  The  dark 
foliage  of  the  bosquet  was  illuminated  by  hundreds  of  torches, 
and  the  tables  were  lighted  by  thousands  of  candles  in  can- 
delabra of  carved  silver. 

After  the  supper  came  the  dance,  which  was  held  in  another 
bosquet  in  a  ball-room  ^  constructed  by  Levau.  It  was  open 
to  the  sky,  lined  with  orange-trees  in  silver  tubs  and  spark- 
ling fountains,  and  filled  with  lights.  At  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  the  dances  ended,  and  the  courtiers  left  the  ball- 
room to  see  the  illuminations  in  the  park.  The  fagade  of  the 
chateau,  the  terrace,  and  the  parterre  of  Latona  were  all 
ablaze  with  colored  lights,  while  the  Royal  Allee  was  lined 
with  seventy-two  towers  of  colored  fire,  which  shot  up  thou- 
sands of  rockets  into  the  sky.  To  finish  the  spectacle  a  su- 
perb display  of  fireworks,  planned  by  Fivry,  was  discharged 

^  On  the  site  of  the  present  basin  of  Flora. 
*  Where  the  basin  of  Ceres  now  is. 

124 


The  FStes  of  Versailles 


from  the  side  of  the  Swiss  Lake,  The  fete  cost  117,000  livres, 
a  sum  equal  to  nearly  $120,000  to-day.  It  was  costly,  but 
it  lacked  the  glamour  of  romance,  the  allegory  and  the  chiv- 
alry, which  had  embellished  the  fete  in  honor  of  La  Valliere, 
the  one  woman  who  loved  Louis  for  himself  alone.  It  was 
pompous,  full  of  gold  and  silver,  not  romantic,  but  magnifi- 
cent like  Montespan. 

THE  FETE  OF  1674 

"  The  king,"  says  Felibien,  "  after  the  conquest  of  Franche- 
Comte,  in  order  to  give  the  court  some  moments  of  repose 
and  pleasure,  following  the  fatigues  of  a  long  journey  which 
the  weather  had  rendered  very  disagreeable,  ordered,  as  soon 
as  he  arrived  at  Versailles  on  the  30th  of  June,  that  fetes 
should  be  prepared.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  things 
about  the  king's  fetes  is  the  promptness  that  accompanies 
their  magnificence ;  because  his  orders  are  executed  with  such 
diligence  by  those  who  have  charge  of  the  arrangements  that 
things  are  accomplished  as  by  a  miracle.  People  are  sur- 
prised to  see,  almost  in  a  moment,  theaters  erected,  bosquets 
adorned  with  fountains  and  statues,  and  collations  served; 
especially  since  everything  has  been  done  so  rapidly  and  so 
quietly  that  they  have  been  hardly  able  to  perceive  the 
preparations."  ^ 

The  fete  took  place  on  six  days  during  the  months  of  July 
and  August.  On  the  first  day,  the  4th  of  July,  there  was  a 
collation,  served  in  the  Marais,  now  the  Baths  of  Apollo, 
which  was  decorated  with  a  very  large  number  of  beautiful 
porcelain  vases  filled  with  flowers.  The  fruits  were  served 
in  baskets  of  porcelain.  The  courtiers  then  passed  to  the 
court  of  marble,  on  the  other  side  of  the  chateau,  where 
Akeste,  an  opera  by  Ouinault  and  Lulli,  was  to  be  performed 

'Dussieux,  I,  pp.  70-71. 
12^ 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

by  the  actors  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Music.  The  theater 
was  the  marble  court  itself.  All  the  windows  of  the  chateau 
were  illuminated,  and  the  sides  of  the  courtyard  were  deco- 
rated with  lofty  candelabra  of  silver  and  crystal,  and  with 
orange-trees  in  silver  tubs.  His  Majesty's  chair  was  placed 
on  a  low  platform,  covered  with  velvet,  in  the  royal  court; 
behind  it  were  the  raised  seats  for  the  courtiers. 

On  the  second  day  of  the  fete,  July  nth,  the  king  spent 
the  evening  in  his  little  porcelain  house  of  Trianon,  where 
the  main  salon  was  decorated  with  a  prodigious  quantity  of 
flowers.  Quinault's  Eglogue  de  Versailles  was  sung,  and 
the  court  then  returned  in  carriages  to  Versailles  for  supper, 
which  was  served  in  one  of  the  bosquets  of  the  garden.  On 
the  17th  the  members  of  the  French  Academy  came  to  com- 
pliment His  Majesty  on  his  recent  conquests,  and  in  the 
name  of  his  colleagues  the  Abbe  Flechier  made  an  eloquent 
speech,  with  which,  according  to  the  Gazette,  His  Majesty 
was  "  extremely  satisfied." 

July  19th  was  the  third  day  of  the  fete.  In  the  afternoon 
the  king  gave  a  collation  to  the  ladies  at  the  Menagerie,  after 
which  the  court  embarked  in  gondolas,  and  remained  for  some 
time  on  the  canal,  listening  to  music.  In  the  evening  the  thea- 
ter was  placed  in  the  Grotto  of  Thetis,  where  the  whole  court 
witnessed  a  performance  of  Moliere's  Malade  Imaginaire. 

For  the  fourth  day,  July  28th,  the  king  ordered  that  the 
collation  should  be  more  splendid  than  those  previously  given. 
It  was  served  in  the  Theatre  d'Eau,  and  in  the  wealth  of  its 
lights,  its  silver  and  gold  vessels,  its  flowers  and  decorations, 
it  surpassed  the  other  collations  of  the  fete.  An  open-air 
theater  had  been  erected  near  the  basin  of  the  Dragon,  in 
which  Quinault's  Cadmus  et  Hermione  was  played.  The 
evening  closed  with  a  display  of  fireworks  on  the  grand 
canal,  and  a  magnificent  supper,  served  in  the  marble  court- 
yard. 

126 


Amic  of  Austria 


The  Fetes  of  Versailles 


The  fifth  day,  August  i8th,  was  the  most  worthy  of  notice. 
On  that  day  M.  de  Gourville,  in  the  name  of  the  Prince  de 
Conde,  presented  to  Louis  one  hundred  and  seven  flags  taken 
from  the  enemy  at  the  battle  of  Seneffe.  At  the  conclusion  of 
this  imposing  ceremony  the  courtiers  entered  thirty  six-horse 
carriages  and  drove  in  the  park.  The  usual  collation  fol- 
lowed, and  then  the  play,  this  time  in  a  theater  constructed 
in  the  Orangery,  where  Racine's  tragedy  Iphigenie  was  ad- 
mirably performed  and  much  applauded.  A  display  of  fire- 
works at  the  grand  canal  terminated  the  evening. 

The  sixth  and  last  day,  August  31st,  witnessed  no  change 
in  the  daily  life  of  the  court,  but  in  the  evening  the  illumina- 
tion of  the  gardens  of  Versailles  was  magical.  The  lines  of 
all  the  parterres  blazed  with  light,  the  fountains  were  aglow 
with  colored  fires,  while  the  grand  canal  was  illuminated 
throughout  its  whole  extent.  The  king  went  to  walk  in  the 
gardens  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  remained  for  some 
hours.    The  court  promenaded  until  dawn. 

Thus  closed  the  grand  fetes  of  Versailles.  France  and  Eu- 
rope had  seen  nothing  like  them  since  the  Renaissance.  They 
made  Versailles  a  fairy-land ;  and  to-day  some  traces  of  their 
vanished  magnificence  still  linger  in  the  pictures  of  Silvestre 
and  Lepautre.  Among  them  all  the  Fete  of  1674  was  truly 
royal,  since  the  Grand  Monarch  enhanced  its  pomp  and  splen- 
dor with  the  masterpieces  of  Racine  and  Moliere,  with  mar- 
tial music  and  the  battle-flags  of  the  enemy.' 


127 


XI 

MARLY 

NO  description  of  the  court  of  Louis  XIV  can  be 
complete  without  an  account  of  Marly.  Marly 
was  too  closely  identified  with  the  king  and  the 
courtiers  to  be  omitted,  and,  moreover,  it  was 
unique  in  its  conception  and  embellishment.  Saint-Simon 
was  as  unjust  to  Marly  as  to  Versailles.  "  The  king,"  says 
he,  "  tired  of  cost  and  bustle,  persuaded  himself  that  he 
should  like  something  little  and  solitary.  He  searched  all 
around  Versailles  for  some  place  to  satisfy  this  new  taste. 
He  examined  several  neighborhoods;  he  traversed  the  hills 
near  St.  Germain,  and  the  vast  plain  which  is  at  the  bottom, 
where  the  Seine  winds  and  bathes  the  feet  of  so  many  towns, 
and  so  many  treasures  in  quitting  Paris.  He  was  pressed 
to  fix  himself  at  Lucienne,  where  Cavoye  afterward  had  a 
house,  the  view  from  which  is  enchanting ;  but  he  replied  that 
so  fine  a  situation  would  ruin  him,  and  that  as  he  wished  to  go 
to  no  expense,  he  also  desired  a  situation  which  would  not 
urge  him  into  any.  He  found  behind  Lucienne  a  deep,  nar- 
row valley,  completely  shut  in,  inaccessible  from  its  swamps, 
and  with  a  wretched  village  called  Marly  upon  the  slope  of 
one  of  its  hills.  .  .  .  The  king  was  overjoyed  at  his  dis- 
covery. The  hermitage  was  made.  At  first  it  was  only  for 
sleeping  in  three  nights,  from  Wednesday  to  Saturday,  two 
or  three  times  a  year,  with  a  dozen  at  the  outside  of  courtiers, 
to  fill  the  most  indispensable  posts.    But  by  degrees  the  her- 

128 


Marly 

mitage  was  augmented,  the  hills  were  pared  and  cut  down, 
to  give  at  least  the  semblance  of  a  prospect ;  in  fine,  what  with 
buildings,  gardens,  waters,  aqueducts,  the  curious  and  well- 
known  machine,  statues,  precious  furniture,  the  park,  the 
ornamental  inclosed  forest.  Marly  has  become  what  it  is  to- 
day, though  it  has  been  stripped  since  the  death  of  the  king. 
Great  trees  were  unceasingly  brought  from  Compiegne  or 
farther,  three  fourths  of  which  died  and  were  immediately 
after  replaced;  vast  spaces  covered  with  thick  wood,  or  ob- 
scure alleys,  were  suddenly  changed  into  immense  pieces  of 
water,  on  which  people  were  rowed  in  gondolas;  then  they 
were  changed  back  again  into  forest  (I  speak  of  what  I  have 
seen  in  six  weeks)  ;  basins  were  changed  a  hundred  times; 
cascades  the  same;  carp-ponds  adorned  with  the  most  ex- 
quisite painting,  scarcely  finished,  were  changed  and  differ- 
ently arranged  by  the  same  hands,  and  this  an  infinite  number 
of  times;  then  there  was  that  prodigious  machine  just  al- 
luded to,  with  its  immense  aqueducts,  the  conduit,  its  mon- 
strous resources  devoted  solely  to  Marly,  and  no  longer  to 
Versailles ;  so  that  I  am  under  the  mark  in  saying  that  Ver- 
sailles, even,  did  not  cost  so  much  as  Marly."  ^  This  last 
statement  is  absurd.  Saint-Simon  was  talking  at  random, 
without  any  knowledge  of  the  accounts.  As  has  already  been 
shown  in  the  chapter  on  the  cost  of  Versailles,  Eckard  places 
the  expenses  of  Marly  from  1679  to  1690  at  4,501,279  livres. 
The  expenses  from  1690  to  171 5  will  amount  to  as  much 
more ;  and  thus,  including  the  cost  of  the  machine  of  Marly, 
the  sum  total  for  the  park  and  palace  is  slightly  over  12,- 
000,000  livres,  or  about  $12,000,000  to-day,  a  little  over  one 
tenth  of  the  cost  of  Versailles.  The  king  built  and  changed 
continually  at  Marly.  Let  us  see  what  he  obtained  for  his 
outlay. 

In  1676  the  king  bought  land  at  Marly;  the  place  was  cov- 
*  Saint-Simon,  II,  pp.  370-371. 

*  129 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

ered  with  thick  woods,  which  in  1677  a  very  large  number 
of  peasants,  working  under  the  corvee,  that  is,  without  wages, 
were  forced  to  cut.  In  1679  the  king  began  to  build  Marly. 
Mansart  commenced  the  construction  of  the  chateau  in  that 
year  and  finished  it  in  1684.  "  Tired  of  cost  and  bustle," 
says  Saint-Simon,  "  the  king  persuaded  himself  that  he 
should  like  something  little  and  solitary."  We  are  to  infer 
that  after  the  completion  of  Versailles  the  king  wearied  of  it 
and  turned  to  Marly;  but  a  glance  at  the  dates  shows  con- 
clusively that  the  king  began  Marly  long  before  Versailles 
was  finished.  Marly  and  Versailles,  in  fact,  grew  in  size  and 
splendor  at  the  same  time,  and  slowly,  for  the  king  worked 
at  their  enlargement  and  embellishment  through  a  period  of 
forty  years.  The  Due  de  Saint-Simon  was  invited  to  Marly 
for  the  first  time  on  November  30,  1695,  ^^d  he  does  not  seem 
to  have  taken  the  trouble  to  make  himself  acquainted  with 
the  history  of  the  place  prior  to  that  date. 

The  Chateau  of  Marly,  called  frequently  the  Pavilion  of 
the  Sun,  stood  on  high  ground  in  the  center  of  the  park. 
The  chateau  was  square,  and  was  surrounded  by  an  extensive 
terrace,  from  which  the  splendid  gardens  sloped  gradually 
to  the  distant  woods.  The  four  facades  were  richly  decorated 
with  sculptures  and  mural  paintings,  executed,  after  designs 
by  Lebrun,  by  Rousseau  and  Meusnier.  In  the  center  of  the 
interior  was  a  vast  octagonal  salon,  superbly  decorated,  oc- 
cupying the  entire  height  of  the  building,  with  four  doors 
and  four  beautiful  marble  chimneypieces,  and  with  an  in- 
terior balcony  on  a  level  with  the  rooms  on  the  first  floor. 
On  the  ground  floor  and  on  the  first  floor  were  four  suites 
of  apartments,  intended  solely  for  the  royal  family,  and  all 
opening  into  the  large  salon.  Those  of  the  king  were  fur- 
nished in  red  velvet;  Monseigneur's  were  in  green  velvet; 
Monsieur's  in  blue  velvet;  and  those  of  his  wife,  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  d'Orleans,  were  in  yellow  velvet.     The  king's  bed 

130 


Marly 

was  hung  with  red  draperies  and  adorned  with  white  plumes. 
In  his  cabinet  stood  a  large  gilded  cupboard,  set  with  glass 
and  richly  carved,  which  contained  jewelry  of  gold  and  sil- 
ver, and  other  articles  of  value.  These  the  king  presented 
to  the  ladies  from  time  to  time  at  lotteries,  the  tickets  for 
which  cost  them  nothing.  The  contents  of  the  cupboard  was 
renewed  at  each  visit  of  the  court.  The  vestibules  of  the 
chateau  were  hung  with  paintings  ^  by  Van  der  Meulen  and 
Martin,  representing  the  various  towns  taken  by  the  king's 
armies.  The  chateau,  as  has  been  said,  was  for  the  royal 
family  only,  though  Madame  de  Maintenon,  of  course,  had 
apartments  there  after  1684.  It  was  necessary,  therefore, 
to  have  other  lodgings  for  courtiers. 

These  were  supplied  in  part  by  twelve  pavilions,  each 
square  in  form,  and  though  much  smaller  and  less  richly 
decorated  than  the  chateau,  still  very  handsome.  They  were 
placed  in  two  lines,  six  on  a  side,  and  were  connected  with 
one  another  by  ornamental  arbors  of  foliage.  The  grand 
basins  and  allees  of  the  garden  separated  the  two  lines  of 
pavilions.  All  the  pavilions  were  adorned  with  mural  paint- 
ings emblematical  of  the  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac,  after 
which  they  were  named;  the  two  nearest  the  chateau  being 
reserved  for  the  princes  of  the  blood.  In  addition  to  the 
pavilions  there  stood  at  the  left  of  the  chateau,  at  one  side 
of  the  gate  of  the  avenue  that  led  to  the  road  to  Versailles, 
a  chapel,  and  at  the  other  side  of  the  gate  a  pavilion  called 
the  Perspective,  which  concealed  a  long  suite  of  offices, 
lodging-rooms,  kitchens,  and  dining-rooms  intended  for  peo- 
ple belonging  to  the  service.  Such,  in  brief,  was  the  king's 
country  house.  Words  convey  no  impression  of  the  effect  of 
the  sculptures,  the  delicate  yellow  of  the  stone,  the  gorgeous 
mural  paintings  on  the  walls,  amid  the  green  foliage  of  the 

^  These    paintings    are    to-day    at  the  Louvre  and  at  the 
Chateau  of  Versailles. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

trees  and  arbors,  amid  the  marble  statues  and  the  splashing 
fountains.  In  the  water-colors  preserved  at  the  Cabinet  des 
Estampes,  and  reproduced  in  M.  Guillaumot's  sumptuous 
book  on  Marly,  the  favorite  chateau  of  the  Grand  Monarch 
lives  again  with  all  its  brilliancy  and  splendor. 

But  the  gardens  ^  were  the  chief  charm  of  Marly.  "  I  do 
not  believe,"  wrote  the  Palatine  in  1702,  "  that  it  would  be 
possible  to  find  in  all  the  world  a  more  beautiful  garden  than 
this."  On  the  upper  terrace,  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  cha- 
teau, were  four  ornamental  bosquets,  called  the  Salles-Vertes, 
which  contained  the  carp-basins  and  very  beautiful  statuary. 
The  chateau  itself,  slightly  elevated,  was  surrounded  by  a 
balustrade,  from  which  eight  flights  of  steps,  one  in  the  center 
of  each  side  and  one  at  each  corner,  descended  to  the  terrace ; 
the  balustrade  being  ornamented  with  marble  sphinxes,  with 
bronze  Cupids  astride,  like  those  at  the  entrance  to  the  par- 
terre du  Midi  at  Versailles.  In  front  of  the  chateau  a  broad 
flight  of  steps  led  from  the  upper  terrace  to  a  second  terrace, 
called  the  Grand  Parterre,  which  was  flanked  by  two  Salles- 
Vertes  containing  basins;  from  this  in  turn  steps  descended 
to  the  third  terrace,  containing  a  piece  of  water  styled  the 
Quatre-Gerbes,  to  the  right  and  left  of  which  steps  led  to 
the  lower  part  of  the  gardens,  which  contained  three  pieces 
of  water  of  varying  size  and  shape,  placed  one  behind  an- 
other, and  separated  by  trees  and  ornamental  allees.  These 
basins  were  called  the  Grand-Jet,  the  Nappes,  and  the  Abreu- 
voir ;  the  latter  was  just  outside  the  wall  of  the  gardens,  and 
to-day,  in  ruins,  is  the  sole  remnant  of  Marly.  The  Grand- 
Jet  threw  up  five  columns  of  water  to  a  surprising  height. 
At  the  basin  of  the  Nappes  they  placed  in  1702  the  horses 
of  Coyzevox,  which  are  now  at  the  entrance  to  the  garden  of 
the  Tuileries;  and  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XV  the  beautiful 
horses  of  Coustou,  which  stand  now  at  the  entrance  to  the 
*  The  gardens  of  Marly  were  designed  by  Duruze. 
132 


Marly 

Champs-filysees,  were  placed  on  the  wall  of  the  garden,  be- 
hind the  Abreuvoir.  The  parts  of  the  garden  just  mentioned 
lay  in  front  of  the  chateau,  and  between  the  twelve  pavilions 
of  the  Zodiac. 

Behind  the  chateau  was  the  finest  fountain  at  Marly,  the 
Cascade.  "  It  was,"  says  Piganiol,  "  a  veritable  river,  rush- 
ing down  over  sixty-three  steps  of  white  marble,  and  form- 
ing sheets  of  water  of  unsurpassed  beauty."  In  1728  this 
admirable  Cascade  was  destroyed  by  order  of  Cardinal 
Fleury,  who  was  unwilling  to  spend  the  money  needed  for  its 
repair.  The  half-moon  at  the  head  of  the  Cascade,  next  to 
the  terrace  of  the  chateau,  contained  splendid  bronze  groups 
of  the  Ocean  and  of  Neptune,  by  Coustou  and  by  Coyzevox. 
Beyond  the  Cascade  rose  the  wooded  slopes  of  the  valley,  the 
high  gardens,  as  they  were  called,  containing  charming  walks, 
and  twelve  or  fifteen  bosquets,  adorned  with  fountains  and 
statues.  The  gardens  of  Marly  covered  nearly  300  acres. 
Terraces,  allees,  basins,  fountains,  bosquets,  cabinets  of  ver- 
dure, the  chateau  itself,  the  pavilions,  all  were  adorned  with 
an  immense  number  of  statues  ^  in  marble  or  bronze,  which 
had  been  created  by  an  army  of  sculptors.  Yew-trees 
abounded,  and  were  trimmed  in  various  forms. 

The  park  of  Marly  contained  1850  acres,  and  the  forest 
3000  acres.  Through  the  latter  the  king  had  made  so  many 
splendid  roads  that,  according  to  Dangeau,  it  was  the  finest 
place  in  the  world  to  hunt  the  stag.  They  played  mall  in 
the  park.  Monseigneur  and  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
played  frequently,  and  the  king  summoned  professional 
players  to  Marly  to  amuse  his  brother.  Monsieur.  There 
was  a  see-saw  for  the  young  princesses,  and  a  sledge  on  rails, 
a  sort  of  merry-go-round.     But  whatever  diversions  were 

^  Some    ten    or    twelve    of    these    Louvre.     The  rest  were  destroyed 
statues    are    in    the    garden    of   the     during  the  Revolution. 
Tuileries,     and     as     many     at     the 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

provided  for  the  younger  members  of  the  royal  family,  the 
one  who  amused  himself  most  in  the  park  of  Marly  was  the 
king,  who  was  constantly  planting  new  trees,  and  having 
them  trimmed  in  different  styles,  or  trimming  them  himself. 
Early  in  1689  Marly  appeared  to  be  finished,  but  in  August 
of  that  year  the  king  began  to  plant  new  allees.  On  the  i6th 
of  September  Dangeau  tells  us  that  the  king  was  busy  plant- 
ing trees  and  placing  statues.  On  the  ist  of  October  His  Maj- 
esty amused  himself  in  trimming  yew-trees.  In  January, 
1690,  he  laid  out  a  new  parterre.  In  1695  we  find  him  watch- 
ing the  construction  of  the  Cascade;  in  1696  he  ordered  a  new 
fountain,  the  Baths  of  Agrippina;  in  1699  a  regiment  of 
soldiers  worked  at  Marly,  cutting  away  the  hill  beyond  the 
Abreuvoir.  The  king  remarked  to  Dangeau  in  1701  that 
Marly  was  then  so  beautiful  that  he  thought  nothing  more 
could  be  done  to  improve  it.  Four  days  later  not  a  single 
workman  remained  in  the  gardens  of  Marly;  but  six  months 
afterward  Dangeau  noted  the  fact  that  the  works  had  been 
begun  again,  and  that  they  were  well  advanced.  In  1698 
Madame  de  Maintenon  ventured  to  make  some  remarks  to 
the  Grand  Monarch  on  the  increasing  expenses  of  Marly, 
but  her  observations  were  not  well  received.  The  king,  in- 
deed, continued,  almost  up  to  the  day  of  his  death,  to  embel- 
lish Marly. 

COURT   LIFE   AT    MARLY 

At  first  the  journeys  to  Marly  took  place  but  twice  a  month, 
the  sojourn  being  for  three  days  at  a  time,  but  in  the  later 
years  of  the  reign  the  journeys  were  much  more  frequent, 
and  the  king  sometimes  remained  two  or  three  months  at 
Marly.  Music,  comedies,  lotteries,  promenades,  hunts,  sup- 
pers, balls,  and  gambling  were,  as  at  Versailles,  the  ordinary 
pleasures  of  the  court,  but  with  fewer  people  and  less  eti- 
quette.   Racine,  in  a  letter  to  Boileau,  under  date  of  August 

134 


Marly 

24,  1687,  has  summed  up  in  a  few  sentences  the  contrast 
between  Marly  and  Versailles.  "  You  know,"  he  writes, 
"  how  delightful  Marly  is.  The  court  here  wears  a  different 
aspect  from  that  which  it  has  at  Versailles.  There  are  fewer 
people,  and  the  king  invites  all  who  are  here.^  Therefore 
all  those  who  find  themselves  here  feel  highly  honored  and 
are  in  the  best  possible  humor.  The  king  himself  is  very 
free  and  amiable.  One  would  say  that  at  Versailles  he  was 
entirely  occupied  with  business,  but  that  at  Marly  he  was  a 
host  seeking  the  pleasure  of  his  guests."  Aside  from  the  de- 
light he  took  in  adorning  his  hermitage,  and  the  relaxation  he 
had  there.  Marly  was  extremely  useful  to  the  king.  "  The  fre- 
quent fetes,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  the  private  promenades  at 
Versailles,  the  journeys  to  Marly,  were  means  on  which  the 
king  seized  in  order  to  distinguish  or  mortify  the  courtiers, 
and  thus  render  them  more  assiduous  in  pleasing  him.  He 
felt  that  of  real  favors  he  had  not  enough  to  bestow ;  and  in 
order  to  keep  up  the  spirit  of  devotion,  he  unceasingly  in- 
vented all  sorts  of  ideal  ones,  little  preferences  and  petty  dis- 
tinctions, which  answered  his  purpose  as  well."  ^  To  be  at 
Versailles  was  the  duty  of  all  the  nobility;  to  be  at  Marly 
was  the  privilege  of  the  favored  few.  If  Versailles  was  nec- 
essary in  order  to  make  the  nobles  dependent  on  the  royal 
bounty.  Marly  was  not  less  necessary,  in  order  that  assiduity 
and  adulation  might  be  kept  at  white  heat. 

They  had,  then,  fewer  people  and  less  etiquette  at  Marly. 
"  Marly,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  had  a  privilege  unknown  to 
the  other  places.  On  going  out  from  the  chateau,  the  king 
said  aloud,  '  Your  hats,  gentlemen,'  and  immediately  cour- 
tiers, officers  of  the  guard,  everybody  in  fact,  covered  their 
heads,  as  he  would  have  been  much  displeased  had  they  not 
done  so;  and  this  lasted  all  the  promenade,  that  is, two  or  three 

*  All  the  expenses  of  the  sojourns  at  Marly  were  paid  for  by  the  king. 
^  Saint-Simon,  II,  p,  364. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

hours  in  summer,  or  in  other  seasons,  when  he  dined  early 
at  Versailles  to  go  and  walk  at  Marly,  and  not  sleep  there."  ^ 
The  Palatine  was  indignant  at  the  freedom  given  the  cour- 
tiers at  Marly.  "  One  does  not  know  what  to  make  of  all 
this,"  she  writes.  "  When  the  king  goes  to  the  promenade, 
all  the  courtiers  put  on  their  hats.  The  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne  goes  to  walk;  well,  she  takes  the  arm  of  one  of  her 
ladies,  and  the  others  walk  at  her  side.  Here  in  the  salon 
all  the  men  are  seated  in  the  presence  of  Monseigneur  and  of 
Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne;  some  even  recline  on  the 
couches.  I  cannot  accustom  myself  to  this  confusion.  It 
is  not  at  all  my  idea  of  what  a  court  should  be."  Few  pas- 
sages on  the  etiquette  of  the  court  are  more  instructive  than 
this.  How  slight  was  the  relaxation  from  the  rigid  etiquette 
of  Versailles!  And  yet  Mme.  la  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  who 
was  neither  a  fool  nor  a  prig,  considered  it  "  confusion." 

The  first  fetes  at  Marly  were  given  on  the  23d  of  July 
and  on  the  3d  of  September,  1684.  At  the  fete  of  the  21st 
of  August,  1685,  they  played  before  supper  the  Sicilien  of 
Moliere,  and  after  supper  there  was  a  ball.  During  the  so- 
journ of  the  court  in  September,  1686,  Madame  de  Mon- 
tespan,  furious  at  her'downfall,  and  yet  unwilling  to  vanish 
from  the  scene,  remarked  bitterly  to  the  king  after  dinner 
that  she  had  a  favor  to  ask  of  him  during  the  stay  at  Marly — 
namely,  that  he  would  permit  her  to  entertain  the  people  of 
the  second  carriage,  and  to  divert  the  antechamber.  In  1687 
the  sojourns  of  the  court  were  longer  and  more  frequent, 
and  gambling  began  for  high  stakes.  In  September,  1689, 
there  was  a  lottery,  at  which  the  ladies,  with  tickets  which 
cost  them  nothing,  gained  articles  of  jewelry  adorned  with 
pearls  and  diamonds,  brocades,  and  silverware.  At  all  court 
lotteries,  unless  given  for  some  special  purpose,  the  objects 
won  were  presents  from  the  king.     After  the  lottery  the 

'  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  25. 
136 


Marly 

comedy-ballet  of  the  Bourgeois  Gentilhomme  was  played  in 
the  salon;  the  king  was  seated  in  the  balcony.  The  winter 
of  1700  was  especially  gay  at  Marly.  There  were  more  balls 
and  masquerades  than  usual,  and  also  small  dances,  which  the 
king  was  fond  of  having  at  Marly,  and  at  which  he  took 
pleasure  in  seeing  his  daughters,  Madame  de  Chartres  and 
Mme.  la  Duchesse,  and  his  granddaughter-in-law,  the  Duch- 
esse  de  Bourgogne,  dance.  In  the  same  year  music  became 
the  fashion,  and  the  king's  musicians  were  summoned  to  give 
concerts  in  the  apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon. 

It  was  at  Marly,  at  a  ball  on  the  23d  of  January,  1705, 
that  the  Princesse  des  Ursins,  who  had  been  exiled  to  Rome 
in  the  previous  year  by  Louis  XIV,  reappeared  in  triumph, 
and  took,  according  to  Saint-Simon,  such  a  "  high  flight " 
that  its  like  had  never  been  seen  before.  It  is  interesting  to 
see  what  this  "  high  flight "  was.  Saint-Simon's  portrait 
of  the  Princesse  des  Ursins  is  to  the  life :  "  She  was  rather 
tall  than  otherwise,  a  brunette,  with  blue  eyes  of  the  most 
varied  expression,  in  figure  perfect,  with  a  most  exquisite 
bosom.  Her  face,  without  being  beautiful,  was  charming; 
and  she  was  extremely  noble  in  air,  very  majestic  in  de- 
meanor, full  of  graces  so  natural  and  so  continual  in  every- 
thing that  I  have  never  seen  any  one  approach  her,  either 
in  form  or  mind.  Her  wit  was  copious  and  of  all  kinds; 
she  was  flattering,  caressing,  insinuating,  moderate,  wishing 
to  please  for  the  sake  of  pleasing,  with  charms  irresistible 
when  she  strove  to  persuade  and  win  over ;  accompanying  all 
this,  she  had  a  grandeur  that  encouraged  instead  of  fright- 
ening ;  a  delicious  conversation,  inexhaustible  and  very  amus- 
ing, for  she  had  seen  many  countries  and  persons;  a  voice 
and  way  of  speaking  extremely  agreeable,  and  full  of  sweet- 
ness. She  had  read  much  and  reflected  much.  She  knew 
how  to  choose  the  best  society,  how  to  receive  them,  and 
could  even  have  held  a  court ;  was  polite,  distinguished,  and, 

^37 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

above  all,  was  careful  never  to  take  a  step  in  advance  without 
dignity  and  discretion.  She  was  eminently  fitted  for  intrigue, 
in  which,  from  taste,  she  had  passed  her  time  at  Rome ;  with 
much  ambition,  but  of  that  vast  kind,  far  above  her  sex,  and 
the  common  run  of  men — a  desire  to  occupy  a  great  position 
and  to  govern.  A  love  for  gallantry  and  personal  vanity 
were  her  foibles,  and  these  clung  to  her  until  her  latest  day; 
consequently  she  dressed  in  a  way  that  no  longer  became  her, 
and  as  she  advanced  in  life,  removed  further  from  propriety 
in  this  particular.  She  was  an  ardent  and  excellent  friend, 
of  a  friendship  that  time  and  absence  never  enfeebled,  and, 
consequently,  an  implacable  enemy,  pursuing  her  hatred  to 
the  infernal  regions.  While  caring  little  for  the  means  by 
which  she  gained  her  ends,  she  tried  as  much  as  possible  to 
reach  them  by  honest  means.  Secret,  not  only  for  herself 
but  for  her  friends,  she  was  yet  of  a  decorous  gaiety,  and 
so  governed  her  humors  that  at  all  times  and  in  everything 
she  was  mistress  of  herself.  Such  was  the  Princesse  des 
Ursins.  From  the  first  moment  on  which  she  entered  the 
service  of  the  Queen  of  Spain,  it  became  her  desire  to  govern 
not  only  the  queen,  but  the  king,^  and  by  this  means  the  realm 
itself.  Such  a  grand  project  had  need  of  support  from  our 
king,  who,  at  the  commencement,  ruled  the  court  of  Spain 
as  much  as  his  own  court,  with  entire  influence  over  all  mat- 
ters." 2 

This  remarkable  woman  offended  Louis  XIV  by  her  course 
in  Spain.  He  exiled  her  to  Rome,  but  she  asked  for  permis- 
sion to  come  to  Versailles  and  justify  herself,  and,  through 
the  influence  of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  the  request  was 
granted.  She  came  and  took  the  king  by  storm.  "  We 
returned  to  Marly,"  says  Saint-Simon.  "  It  need  not  be 
doubted  that  Madame  des  Ursins  was  among  the  invited. 

^  Philippe  V,  grandson  of  Louis  XIV. 
*  Saint-Simon,  I,  pp.  262-264. 


Marly 

Apartments  were  given  her,  and  nothing  could  equal  the  tri- 
umphant air  with  which  she  took  possession  of  them,  the 
continual  attentions  of  the  king  to  her,  as  though  she  were 
some  little  foreign  queen  just  arrived  at  his  court,  or  the 
majestic  fashion  in  which  she  received  these  attentions,  min- 
gled with  grace  and  respectful  politeness,  then  almost  out  of 
date,  which  recalled  the  stately  old  dames  of  the  queen- 
mother.  She  never  came  without  the  king,  who  appeared 
to  be  completely  occupied  with  her,  talking  with  her,  pointing 
out  objects  for  her  inspection,  seeking  her  opinion  and  her 
approbation  with  an  air  of  gallantry,  even  of  flattery,  which 
never  ceased.  The  frequent  private  conversations  that  she 
had  with  him  in  the  apartment  of  Madame  de  Maintenon, 
and  which  lasted  an  hour,  and  sometimes  double  that  time, 
and  those  that  she  had  very  often  in  the  morning  alone  with 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  rendered  her  the  divinity  of  the  court. 
The  princesses  encircled  her  the  moment  she  appeared  any- 
where, and  went  to  see  her  in  her  chamber.  Nothing  was 
more  surprising  than  the  servile  eagerness  with  which  the 
greatest  people,  the  highest  in  power  and  the  most  in  favor, 
clustered  around  her.  Her  very  glances  were  counted,  and 
her  words,  addressed  even  to  ladies  of  the  highest  rank,  im- 
printed upon  them  a  look  of  ravishment.  ...  At  the  ball 
Madame  des  Ursins  seated  herself  near  the  grand  chamber- 
lain, and  looked  at  everybody  with  her  lorgnette.  At  every 
moment  the  king  turned  round  to  speak  to  her  and  to  Madame 
de  Maintenon,  who  came  for  half  an  hour  or  so,  and  on 
her  account  displaced  the  grand  chamberlain,  who  put  him- 
self behind  her.  In  this  manner  she  joined  Madame  des 
Ursins,  and  was  close  to  the  king,  the  conversation  between 
the  three  being  continual.  But  what,  more  than  any  public 
distinction,  marked  the  prodigious  flight  that  Madame  des 
Ursins  took  was  the  fact  that  in  the  salon  she  carried  a  little 
spaniel  in  her  arms,  as  though  she  had  been  in  her  own  house. 

139 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

People  could  not  sufficiently  express  their  astonishment  at 
a  familiarity  on  which  even  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
would  not  have  dared  to  venture;  still  less  could  they  do  so 
when  they  saw  the  king  caress  this  little  dog  at  the  close 
of  the  ball.  In  fine,  such  a  high  flight  has  never  been  seen. 
People  could  not  accustom  themselves  to  it,  and  those  who 
knew  the  king  and  his  court  are  surprised  still,  when  they 
think  of  it,  after  so  many  years."  ^ 

Anecdotes  of  the  life  at  Marly  might  be  multiplied,  but 
it  is  necessary  to  pass  on.  For  the  Grand  Monarch  there 
were  dark  days  at  Marly.  At  Marly  he  received  the  news 
of  the  death  of  his  brother,  at  Marly  he  received  accounts 
of  the  defeats  of  his  generals,  to  Marly  he  came  in  the  night 
of  the  14th  of  April,  171 1,  when  his  son  and  heir  lay  dead 
at  Meudon.  Saint-Simon  sketches  in  a  few  words  that  com- 
ing in  the  night :  "  At  Marly  everybody  had  felt  so  confident 
that  the  king's  return  there  was  not  dreamt  of.  Nothing 
was  ready,  no  keys  of  the  rooms,  no  fires,  scarcely  an  end 
of  candle.  The  king  was  more  than  an  hour  thus  with  Ma- 
dame de  Maintenon  and  other  ladies  in  one  of  the  ante- 
chambers. The  king  retired  into  a  corner,  seated  between 
Madame  de  Maintenon  and  two  other  ladies,  and  wept  at 
long  intervals.  At  last  the  chamber  of  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon was  ready.  The  king  entered,  remained  there  an  hour, 
and  then  went  to  bed  at  nearly  four  o'clock  in  the  morning."  ^ 

To  finish  with  the  life  at  Marly,  let  us  add  that,  with  but 
two  exceptions,  no  ambassador,  no  foreigner,  was  ever  ad- 
mitted to  Marly;  that  husbands  had  the  right  to  accompany 
their  wives  there ;  and  that  the  king  worked  there  each  morn- 
ing with  his  ministers,  as  at  Versailles. 

THE   DESTRUCTION   OF   MARLY 

"On  Saturday,  the  loth  of  August,  171 5,  the  king  walked 
before  dinner  in  his  gardens  at  Marly,    He  returned  to  Ver- 

'  Saint-Simon,  I,  pp.  277-279.  '  Idem,  II,  p.  188. 

140 


Marly 

sailles  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  never  saw  again 
that  favorite  work  of  his  hands."  ^  Louis  XIV  was  hardly- 
dead  when  the  regent,  acting  on  the  advice  of  the  Due  de 
Noailles,  prepared  to  destroy  Marly.  With  great  good  sense 
the  Due  de  Saint-Simon  prevented  this  disgraceful  project. 
Let  him  tell  the  story  in  his  own  words : 

"  One  afternoon,  as  we  were  about  to  take  our  places  at 
the  regency  council,  the  Marechal  de  Villars  drew  me  aside 
and  asked  me  if  I  knew  that  Marly  was  going  to  be  destroyed. 
I  replied,  '  No ' ;  indeed,  I  had  not  heard  of  it,  and  I  added 
that  I  could  not  believe  it.  '  You  do  not  approve  of  it  ?  ' 
said  the  marechal.  I  assured  him  I  was  far  from  doing  so. 
He  replied  that  the  destruction  was  resolved  on,  that  he 
knew  it  beyond  all  doubt,  and  that  if  I  wished  to  hinder 
it,  I  had  not  a  moment  to  lose.  I  replied  that  when  we  took 
our  places  I  would  speak  to  M.  le  Due  d'Orleans.  '  Imme- 
mediately,'  replied  the  marechal,  quickly ;  '  speak  to  him  this 
instant,  for  the  order  is  perhaps  already  given.'  As  all  the 
council  were  already  seated,  I  went  behind  to  M.  le  Due  d'Or- 
leans, and  whispered  in  his  ear  what  I  had  just  learned  with- 
out naming  from  whom,  and  begged  him,  if  my  information 
was  right,  to  suspend  the  execution  of  his  project  until  I  had 
spoken  to  him,  adding  that  I  would  join  him  at  the  Palais 
Royal  after  the  council.  He  stammered  a  little,  as  if  sorry 
at  being  discovered,  but  nevertheless  agreed  to  wait  for  me. 
I  said  so  in  leaving  to  the  Marechal  de  Villars,  and  went  to 
the  Palais  Royal,  where  M.  le  Due  d'Orleans  admitted  the 
truth  of  the  news  I  had  heard.  I  said  I  would  not  ask  who 
had  given  such  pernicious  counsel.  He  tried  to  show  it  was 
good  by  pointing  to  the  saving  in  keeping  up  that  would  be 
obtained;  to  the  gain  that  would  accrue  from  the  sale  of 
so  many  water-conduits  and  materials ;  to  the  unpleasant  situ- 
ation of  a  place  to  which  the  king^  would  not  be  able  to 
go  for  several  years;  and  to  the  expense  the  king  was  put 

^Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  344.  'The  young  Louis  XV. 

141 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

to  in  keeping  up  so  many  other  beautiful  palaces,  not  one 
of  which  admitted  of  pulling  down.  I  replied  to  him  that 
these  were  the  reasons  of  the  guardian  of  a  private  gentle- 
man, the  conduct  of  whom  could  in  no  way  resemble  that 
of  the  guardian  of  a  King  of  France;  that  the  expenses  in- 
curred in  keeping  up  Marly  were  necessary,  and  that,  com- 
pared with  the  total  of  those  of  the  king,  they  were  but  as 
drops  in  the  ocean.  I  begged  him  to  get  rid  of  the  idea 
that  the  sale  of  the  materials  would  yield  any  profit;  all 
the  receipts  would  go  in  gifts  and  pillage,  I  said;  and  also 
that  it  was  not  these  petty  objects  he  ought  to  regard,  but 
that  he  should  consider  how  many  millions  had  been  buried 
in  this  valley  to  transform  it  into  a  fairy  palace,  unique 
as  to  form  in  all  Europe,  unique,  too,  by  the  beauty  of  its  foun- 
tains, and  by  the  reputation  that  the  deceased  king  had  given 
to  it;  that  it  was  an  object  of  curiosity  to  strangers  of  every 
rank  who  came  to  France ;  that  its  destruction  would  resound 
throughout  Europe  with  censure;  that  these  mean  reasons 
of  petty  economy  would  not  prevent  all  France  from  being 
indignant  at  seeing  so  distinguished  an  ornament  swept 
away;  that  although  neither  he  nor  I  might  be  very  delicate 
upon  what  had  been  the  taste  and  the  favorite  work  of  the 
late  king,  the  regent  ought  to  avoid  wounding  his  memory, 
which,  by  such  a  long  reign,  so  many  brilliant  years,  so  many 
great  reverses  so  heroically  sustained,  and  escaped  from  in 
so  unhoped-for  a  manner,  had  left  the  entire  world  in  ven- 
eration of  his  person:  in  fine,  that  he  might  reckon  all  the 
discontented,  all  the  neutral  even,  would  join  in  chorus  with 
the  Ancient  Court,  and  cry  murder ;  that  the  Due  du  Maine/ 
Madame  de  Ventadour,^  the  Marechal  de  Villeroi  ^  would 
not  hesitate  to  look  upon  the  destruction  of  Marly  as  a  crime 
against  the  king,  a  crime  they  would  not  fail  to  make  the  best 

^  Son  of  Louis  XIV  and  Madame       ^  Governess  of  Louis  XV. 
de  Montespan.  '  Governor  of  Louis  XV. 

142 


Marly 

of  for  their  own  purposes  during  all  the  regency,  and  even 
after  it  was  at  an  end.  I  clearly  saw  that  M.  le  Due  d'Or- 
leans  had  not  in  the  least  reflected  upon  all  this.  He  agreed 
that  I  was  right ;  promised  that  Marly  should  not  be  touched, 
that  it  should  continue  to  be  kept  up,  and  thanked  me  for 
preserving  him  from  this  fault.  When  I  was  well  assured 
of  him,  *  Admit,'  said  I,  '  that  the  late  king,  in  the  other 
world,  would  be  much  astonished  if  he  could  know  that  the 
Due  de  Noailles  had  made  you  order  the  destruction  of  Marly, 
and  that  it  was  I  who  hindered  it.'  '  Oh,  as  to  that,'  he  re- 
plied quickly,  *  it  is  true  he  could  not  believe  it.'  In  effect 
Marly  was  preserved  and  kept  up,  and  it  is  the  Cardinal 
Fleury,  with  his  collegiate  proctor's  avarice,  who  has  stripped 
it  of  its  river,^  which  was  its  most  superb  charm."  ^ 

The  Due  de  Saint-Simon  rendered  a  real  service  to  art 
and  to  France  that  day. 

With  the  history  of  Marly  during  the  reigns  of  Louis  XV 
and  Louis  XVI,  we  have  nothing  to  do.  Marly  fell  at  the 
Revolution,  but  not  in  the  manner  commonly  supposed.  In 
October,  1793,  the  gardens  were  devastated,  and  the  furni- 
ture was  sold  at  auction.  Many  statues  were  broken.  A  car- 
penter named  Huzard  constructed  two  cases  in  which  he 
preserved  the  beautiful  horses  of  Coustou,  which  were 
brought  to  Paris  in  1794.  In  1796  the  Minister  of  Finance 
sent  to  the  Palais  Bourbon  a  certain  number  of  the  statues 
of  Marly  which  had  escaped  the  iconoclasts  of  1793.  In 
March,  1799,  the  state  offered  for  sale  the  palace  and  park 
of  Marly,  stripped  of  all  precious  objects  and  partly  de- 
stroyed. A  purchaser  was  found,  named  Sagniel,  who  bought 
the  domain  for  412,361  francs,  paying  a  certain  sum  down, 
and  agreeing  to  pay  the  balance  in  instalments.  In  the  cha- 
teau Sagniel  set  up  a  spinning-mill  for  wool  stuffs  and  a 
cloth-manufactory,  but  the  business  did  not  prosper,  and  to 
*The  Cascade.  ^Saint-Simon,  III,  pp.  78-80. 

143 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

secure  funds  for  the  manufactory  and  for  the  payments  due 
the  state,  he  began  to  demolish  the  twelve  pavilions  of  Marly. 
From  the  sale  of  the  marbles  and  other  materials  he  gained 
large  sums,  which  he  sank  in  his  business,  and  he  was  com- 
pelled to  borrow  money.  In  1806  he  still  owed  the  state  50,- 
000  francs.  Then  he  offered  to  sell  the  chateau  to  M.  Daru, 
an  officer  of  the  Household  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  threat- 
ening at  the  same  time  to  demolish  it  unless  he  received  his 
price.  Daru  refused  to  buy,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Marly, 
fearing  that  Sagniel  would  carry  out  his  threat,  addressed 
a  petition  to  the  emperor,  asking  him  to  prevent  the  final 
destruction  of  the  chateau.  On  the  14th  of  June,  1806,  Napo- 
leon sent  Fouche  with  an  order  to  stop  the  destruction  of 
Marly,  but  in  the  meanwhile  Sagniel  had  paid  his  50,000 
francs  to  the  state,  and  could  therefore  do  as  he  pleased  with 
his  own.  The  emperor  then  offered  to  purchase  the  cha- 
teau, but  Sagniel  at  once  demanded  so  high  a  price  that 
the  emperor  abandoned  the  matter.  Sagniel  continued  his 
destruction,  and  laid  Marly  low.  When  he  had  ruined  all, 
and  sold  all,  and  swept  away  completely  one  of  the  most 
splendid  examples  of  the  French  art  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, he  sold  the  land  in  18 10  to  a  certain  M.  Andryane  for 
288,000  francs,  by  whom  it  was  sold  in  181 1  to  Napoleon  I 
for  400,000  francs.  To-day  Marly  is  a  farm  of  the  state, 
and  is  rented  at  2500  francs  a  year. 

Nothing  remains  of  the  Marly  of  the  Sun  King  save  the 
ruined  basin  of  the  Abreuvoir.  Into  it  the  teamsters  drive 
their  tired  horses  to  water;  behind  it  stands  a  stone  wall, 
beyond  which  once  lay  the  gardens  of  the  Grand  Monarch, — 
with  their  broad  terraces  and  their  marble  statues,  with  their 
flashing  fountains  and  their  glittering  pavilions, — where  now 
rise  the  woods,  dark  and  cool  and  silent,  growing  as  they 
grew  of  old  in  those  distant  days  before  Louis  XIV  brought 
to  the  quiet  valley  his  architects,  his  artists,  and  his  millions. 

144 


Ill 

THE   KING 


10 


E 


THE  SERVICE  OF  THE  KING 

"ELEVEN  grand  services  were  attached  to  the  king's 
person:  (i)  the  rehgious  service,  directed  by  the 
grand  almoner;  (2)  the  Maison  dii  Roi,^  directed 
by  the  grand  master  of  the  Household,  together 
with  the  first  maitre  d' hotel;  (3)  the  Chamber,  Antechamber, 
and  Cabinet,  under  the  orders  of  the  grand  chamberlain;  (4) 
the  Wardrobe,  directed  by  the  grand  master  of  the  Ward- 
robe; (5)  the  Stables,^  governed  by  the  grand  equerry  and 
the  first  equerry;  (6)  the  Hunting-Train  and  Kennels,^  di- 
rected by  the  grand  huntsman;  (7)  the  Buildings,  under  the 
control  of  the  superintendent  of  Buildings;  (8)  the  Journeys, 
directed  by  the  grand  marshal  of  lodgings;^  (9)  the  King's 
Guard,^  under  the  orders  of  the  officers  of  the  Maison  Mili- 
taire;  (10)  the  Police,  directed  by  the  grand  provost  of 
France;  (11)  the  Ceremonies,  directed  by  the  grand  master 
of  ceremonies,  a  post  demanding,  on  the  part  of  the  person 
who  filled  it,  great  tact  and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  rank 
and  etiquette. 

Let  us  consider  now  the  organization  of  the  services  of 

^  All  that  pertains  to  the  Maison  marshal     of     lodgings     to     assign 

du  Roi  has  been  given  in  the  chap-  apartments    to    the    courtiers    who 

ter  on  the  Grand  Commun.  followed    the     king     to    Marly,    to 

^The  organization  of  the  Stables  Fontainebleau,  etc.,  or  to  the  army, 
and  Hunting-Train  will  be  found  *  The  King's  Guard  has  been  de- 
in  the  chapters  devoted  to  those  scribed  in  the  chapter  on  the  Court- 
subjects,  yards. 

'  It  was  the  business  of  the  grand 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

the  Chamber,  Antechamber,  and  Cabinet,  of  the  Wardrobe, 
and  of  the  Chapel. 

THE  CHAMBER  AND  ANTECHAMBER 

The  service  of  the  Chamber  was  directed  by  the  grand  cham- 
berlain, whose  post  was  worth  800,000  livres;  he  had,  how- 
ever, but  3600  livres  of  wages,  and  the  rest  of  the  revenue 
came  from  profits  and  various  rights.  The  same  was  true  of 
all  the  chief  posts  at  court;  the  salaries  were  small  and  the 
perquisites  enormous.  The  grand  chamberlain  had  under 
his  orders  4  first  gentlemen  of  the  Chamber,  24  gentlemen 
of  the  Chamber,  and  24  pages  of  the  Chamber,  the  latter 
being  employed  in  the  king's  service  with  the  pages  of  the 
Stables.  There  were  also  4  first  valets  de  chambre,  32  valets 
de  chambre,  16  ushers,  12  cloak-bearers,  2  gun-bearers,  8 
barbers,  3  watchmakers,  i  dentist,  6  garqons,  2  chair-bearers, 
10  furniture-men. 

"  The  king  treated  his  valets  well,"  says  Saint-Simon, 
"  above  all  those  of  the  Household.  It  was  among  them  that 
he  felt  most  at  ease,  and  that  he  unbosomed  himself  the  most 
familiarly,  especially  to  the  chiefs.  Their  friendship  and 
their  aversion  have  often  had  grand  results.  They  were 
unceasingly  in  a  position  to  render  good  and  bad  offices ;  thus 
they  recalled  those  powerful  enfranchised  slaves  of  the  Ro- 
man emperors,  to  whom  the  senate  and  the  great  people  paid 
court  and  basely  truckled.  These  valets  during  Louis  XIV's 
reign  were  not  less  courted.  The  ministers,  even  the  most 
powerful,  openly  studied  their  caprices,  and  the  princes  of  the 
blood,  not  to  mention  people  of  lower  grade,  did  the  same. 
The  majority  were  accordingly  insolent  enough,  and  if  you 
could  not  avoid  their  insolence,  you  were  forced  to  put  up 
with  it."  1 

The  three  first  valets  de  chambre  who  had  gained  the  king's 
^  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  368. 
148 


■■il  i 

-■11  I  .        "T    * 


The  Service  of  the  King 


confidence  most  fully  were  Blouin,  Niert,  and,  above  all, 
Bontemps,  governor  of  Versailles.  The  latter  was  an  ex- 
cellent servant,  and  stood  so  well  with  the  king  that  he  was 
one  of  the  witnesses  at  the  marriage  of  the  Grand  Monarch 
and  Madame  de  Maintenon. 

There  was  likewise  the  music  of  the  Chamber,  controlled 
by  two  superintendents,  and  consisting  of  composers,  singers, 
musicians,  24  violins,  12  trumpeters,  4  drummers,  4  fife- 
players,  etc.  To  the  service  of  the  Chamber  belonged  also 
the  king's  medical  attendants,  a  first  doctor,  a  doctor  in 
ordinary,  8  doctors  serving  by  the  quarter,  a  first  surgeon, 
a  surgeon  in  ordinary,  8  surgeons  serving  by  the  quarter,  and 
the  physicians  in  the  infirmary  of  the  Maison  du  Roi.  The 
king's  first  doctor  during  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life  was 
M,  Fagon,  who  owed  his  appointment  to  the  influence  of 
Madame  de  Maintenon.  "  Daquin,  first  doctor  of  the  king 
and  creature  of  Madame  de  Montespan,  had  lost  nothing  of 
his  credit  by  her  removal,  but  had  never  been  able  to  get  on 
well  with  Madame  de  Maintenon,  who  looked  coldly  upon  all 
the  friends  of  her  predecessor.  Daquin  had  a  son,  an  abbe, 
and  wearied  the  king  with  solicitations  on  his  behalf.  Madame 
de  Maintenon  seized  the  opportunity,  when  the  king  was 
more  than  usually  angry  with  Daquin,  to  obtain  his  dismissal ; 
it  came  upon  him  like  a  thunderbolt.  On  the  previous  even- 
ing the  king  had  spoken  to  him  for  a  long  time  as  usual, 
and  had  never  treated  him  better.  All  the  court  was  aston- 
ished also.  Fagon,  a  very  skilful  and  learned  man,  was  ap- 
pointed in  his  place  at  the  instance  of  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon." 1 

In  the  l^tat  de  la  France  (1712)  mention  is  made,  in  con- 
nection with  the  service  of  the  Chamber,  of  the  valets  whose 
business  it  was  to  take  care  of  the  pointers  and  the  setters, 
and  the  birds,  which  the  king  kept  in  his  smaller  cabinets. 

^  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  34. 
149 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

The  dogs  were  allowed  1446  livres  a  year  for  their  support, 
a  sum  which  included  the  wages  of  their  valets,  and  the 
royal  pastry-cook  sent  them  seven  biscuits  each  day.  The 
service  of  the  Antechamber  required  only  two  ushers. 

THE   CABINET 

The  personnel  of  the  Cabinet  consisted  of  2  ushers,  4  secre- 
taries, 3  interpreters  of  foreign  languages,  2  readers,  one  of 
whom  was  Racine,  a  historiographer,  and  many  couriers. 
To  this  service  were  attached  also  the  persons  in  charge  of 
the  king's  collections  of  medals  and  jewels,  and  the  custo- 
dians of  the  crown  furniture. 

One  of  the  most  useful  men  in  the  service  of  the  Cabinet 
was  the  king's  private  secretary,  of  whom  Saint-Simon  has 
left  the  following  portrait :  "  Rose,  secretary  in  the  king's 
cabinet,  died,  aged  about  eighty-six,  at  the  commencement  of 
the  year  1701.  For  nearly  fifty  years  he  had  held  the  office  of 
the  '  pen,'  as  it  is  called.  To  have  the  *  pen '  is  to  be  a  public 
forger,  and  to  do  what  would  cost  anybody  else  his  life.  This 
office  consists  in  imitating  the  handwriting  of  the  king  so 
exactly  that  the  real  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the  coun- 
terfeit. In  this  manner  are  written  all  the  letters  that  the 
king  ought  or  wishes  to  write  with  his  own  hand,  but  which, 
nevertheless,  he  will  not  take  the  trouble  to  write.  Sover- 
eigns and  people  of  high  rank,  even  generals  and  others  of 
importance,  employ  a  secretary  of  this  kind.  It  is  not  pos- 
sible to  make  a  great  king  speak  with  more  dignity  than 
did  Rose;  nor  with  more  fitness  to  each  person,  and  upon 
every  subject.  The  king  signed  all  the  letters  that  Rose 
wrote,  and  the  characters  were  so  alike  that  it  was  impossible 
to  find  the  smallest  difference.  Many  important  things  had 
passed  through  the  hands  of  Rose.  He  was  extremely  faith- 
ful and  secret,  and  the  king  put  entire  trust  in  him. 

"  Rose  was  a  little  man,  neither  fat  nor  lean,  with  a  toler- 

150 


The  Service  of  the  King 


ably  handsome  face,  keen  expression,  piercing  eyes  spark- 
ling with  cleverness;  a  little  cloak,  a  satin  skullcap  over  his 
gray  hairs,  a  smooth  collar,  almost  like  an  abbe's,  and  his 
pocket-handkerchief  always  between  his  coat  and  his  vest. 
He  used  to  say  it  was  nearer  his  nose  there.  He  laughed  very 
freely  at  the  foreign  princes,  and  always  called  the  dukes 
with  whom  he  was  familiar,  '  Your  Ducal  Highness,'  in 
ridicule  of  the  sham  Highnesses.  He  was  extremely  neat  and 
brisk,  and  full  of  sense  to  the  last;  he  was  a  sort  of  per- 
sonage." ^ 

THE  WARDROBE 

The  service  of  the  Wardrobe  was  directed  by  a  grand  master, 
who  had  under  his  orders  2  masters  of  the  Wardrobe,  4  first 
valets,  16  valets,  4  garqons  ordinaires,  a  cravat-starcher 
whose  business  it  was  to  place,  each  morning,  the  diamonds 
and  ruffles  on  the  wrist-bands  of  His  Majesty's  shirts,  26 
tailors,  bootmakers,  jewelers,  embroiderers,  etc.,  and  2  laun- 
drymen.  As  has  been  said,  in  connection  with  the  chateau, 
the  rooms  of  the  Wardrobe  faced  the  marble  court  on  the 
south  side,  below  the  Hall  of  the  King's  Guards. 

THE   RELIGIOUS    SERVICE 

The  service  of  the  chapel  was  directed  by  the  grand  almoner 
of  France,  under  whom  served  a  first  almoner,  a  master  of 
the  Oratory,  the  king's  confessor,  8  almoners  serving  by 
the  quarter,  a  chaplain  in  ordinary,  8  chaplains  serving  by 
the  quarter,  who  were  to  say  a  low  mass  each  day  before  the 
king,  8  clerks  of  the  chapel,  2  porters  of  the  chapel,  and  a 
sacristan.  The  music  was  conducted  by  a  master  of  the 
chapel  music,  having  under  his  orders  4  masters  of  music 
serving  by  the  quarter,  4  organists  serving  also  by  the  quar- 
ter, 4  pages,  90  choristers,  and  19  musicians. 

"  The  music  of  the  chapel,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  was  much 
*  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  204. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

superior  to  that  of  the  opera,  and  to  all  the  music  of  Europe, 
and  at  Christmas  it  surpassed  itself.  There  was  nothing  so 
magnificent  as  the  decoration  of  the  chapel,  or  the  manner 
in  which  it  was  lighted.  It  was  full  of  people;  the  arches 
of  the  tribune  were  crowded  with  the  court  ladies.  There 
was  nothing  so  surprising  as  the  beauty  of  the  spectacle.  The 
ears  were  charmed  also."  ^ 

Of  the  eleven  grand  services  afifecting  the  king's  person  the 
essential  facts  as  to  personnel  and  organization  have  now 
been  given,  here  or  elsewhere,  except  in  the  cases  of  the  fol- 
lowing four:  the  Buildings,  the  Journeys,  the  Police,  the 
Ceremonies.  A  chapter  will  be  devoted  to  the  Ceremonies 
further  on,  and  the  Police  can  be  briefly  disposed  of  by  say- 
ing that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  grand  provost  to  assume  cer- 
tain responsibilities  for  the  guarding  of  the  park  and  palace 
which  did  not  fall  to  the  Swiss  Guards. 

The  superintendent  of  Buildings  had  under  his  charge 
much  more  than  the  royal  palaces,  but  it  is  only  with  the 
latter  that  we  have  to  do.  The  king  had  long  since  ceased 
to  reside  at  the  Louvre  or  the  Tuileries.  Meudon  had  been 
given  to  Monseigneur,  and  St.  Cloud  to  Monsieur.  Choisy, 
which  became  later  a  royal  palace,  was  then  the  property  of  the 
Grande  Mademoiselle,  and  St.  Germain  had  been  turned  over 
temporarily  to  the  King  and  Queen  of  England.  Louis  XIV, 
therefore,  during  the  last  thirty  years  of  his  life,  lived  first 
of  all  at  Versailles,  the  seat  of  government,  then  at  Marly, 
his  favorite  hermitage,  at  Trianon,  at  Fontainebleau,  and  at 
Compiegne.  Whatever  works  were  undertaken  at  these  va- 
rious palaces,  it  was  within  the  province  of  the  superintendent 
of  Buildings  to  supervise  them  and  hasten  their  execution, 
and  as  His  Majesty  was  continually  constructing  and  de- 
molishing on  a  large  scale,  the  post  was  no  sinecure. 

^  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  337. 


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«,,„r™.ui„,.  o/«r 0^».".l  ./  '- 


Louis  XI 11  crowned  by  Victory 


The  Service  of  the  King 


As  for  the  Journeys,  those  to  Compiegne  and  Fontaine- 
bleau  took  place  at  fixed  times  in  each  year :  Compiegne,  in 
the  spring ;  Fontainebleau,  in  the  autumn,  and  the  stay  of  the 
court  at  the  latter  residence  lasted  usually  six  weeks.  Owing 
to  the  number  of  the  courtiers  and  the  immense  retinue  in  at- 
tendance, these  removals  from  one  chateau  to  another  were 
very  costly.  A  trip  to  Fontainebleau  sometimes  cost  more 
than  400,000  livres.  When  the  king's  civil  household  (be- 
tween 3000  and  4000  persons),  the  households  of  the  royal 
family  and  of  the  princes  of  the  blood,  the  world  of  courtiers, 
the  train  of  lackeys  and  valets,  the  army  of  cooks  and  candle- 
makers,  cobblers,  tailors,  and  dealers  of  every  description, 
were  on  the  march,  some  15,000  or  20,000  people  in  all,  the 
cortege  of  the  Grand  Monarch  advanced  like  an  Oriental 
court;  "  one  had  to  take  the  post  in  advance  to  go  anywhere." 

The  journeys  to  Marly  were  much  more  frequent,  twice 
a  month  at  first,  and  for  three  days  at  a  time,  from  Wednes- 
day to  Saturday,  for  the  king  returned  to  spend  Sunday  at 
Versailles,  which  was  his  parish.  Later  on  the  king  went  to 
Marly  once  a  week  for  two  or  three  days,  and  sometimes 
remained  there  in  the  summer  for  several  weeks.  He  paid 
all  the  expenses  of  the  journeys  to  Marly,  but  the  number  of 
persons  who  were  invited  was  very  much  smaller  than  on  the 
journeys  to  Compiegne  and  Fontainebleau,  where  all  the 
court,  unless  specially  excluded,  had  the  right  to  follow  him. 


153 


II 

HIS   DAILY  LIFE 

THE  Due  de  Saint-Simon  deserves  great  credit  for 
having  written  in  his  Memoirs  that  often-quoted 
chapter  on  the  daily  Hfe  of  the  Grand  Monarch. 
For  him  it  was  a  laborious  and  thankless  task. 
"  But  what  determines  me,"  he  adds,  "  is  that  details  weary- 
ing, nay  annoying,  to  instructed  readers,  who  have  been  wit- 
nesses of  what  I  relate,  soon  escape  the  knowledge  of  pos- 
terity; and  that  experience  shows  us  how  much  we  regret 
that  no  one  takes  upon  himself  a  labor,  in  his  own  time  so 
ungrateful,  but  in  future  years  so  interesting,  by  which 
princes,  who  have  made  quite  as  much  stir  as  the  one  in 
question,  are  characterized."  ^  Valuable  as  Saint-Simon's 
chapter  is,  it  will  be  necessary  to  supplement  his  details  with 
others  taken  from  the  Etat  de  la  France  if  one  would  see 
clearly  those  unrivaled  masterpieces  of  etiquette,  the  lever 
and  coucher  of  Louis  XIV. 

The  chief  divisions  of  the  king's  day  were  as  follows : 
the  lever,  the  morning,  the  council,  the  dinner,  the  afternoon, 
the  supper,  the  evening,  the  coucher. 

THE  LEVER 

Before  His  Majesty  awoke,  the  princes  of  the  blood,  the  chief 

nobles,  the  officers  of  the  crown,   and  the  officers  of  the 

*  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  19. 


His  Daily  Life 

Chamber  assembled  in  tlie  king's  grand  antechamber  (now 
the  CEil-de-BcFuf),  to  await  the  leve?'.  In  that  sumptuous 
antechamber  this  throng  of  men,  in  stately  periwigs  and 
brilliant  habits,  glittering  with  jewels,  moved  quietly  to  and 
fro,  conversing  in  low  tones,  gathering  about  those  who 
seemed  likely  to  have  favors  to  bestow,  smiling  at  some 
anecdote  or  scrap  of  scandal,  saluting  one  another  as  grace- 
fully as  possible,  watching  one  another  out  of  the  corners 
of  their  eyes,  and  glancing  expectantly  toward  the  white- 
and-gold  doors  beyond  which  was  the  founder  and  preserver 
of  their  fortunes,  the  fountainhead  of  riches  and  honors  and 
all  rank.  Each  one  of  them  had  had  his  own  lever,  attended 
by  lesser  lights,  from  which  each  had  come  to  the  lever  of  the 
king.  It  was  necessary  that  they  should  be  in  the  royal 
antechamber  by  eight  o'clock. 

"  The  king  usually  awoke  at  the  time  he  had  named  the 
evening  before  at  his  coucher,  but  if  he  did  not  wake  at  the 
hour  he  had  given,  the  first  valet  de  chamhre  woke  him.  In 
the  morning,  the  first  valet  de  chamhre  on  duty  for  the  quar- 
ter, who  slept  in  the  chamber  of  His  Majesty,  rose  ordinarily 
an  hour  before  the  king,  went  quietly  out  of  the  chamber  of 
His  Majesty,  and  dressed  himself  in  one  of  the  antechambers. 
About  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  the  king  was  awakened, 
that  is  about  a  quarter  to  eight,  the  first  valet  de  chamhre 
returned  quietly  into  the  chamber  of  His  Majesty  with  an 
officer  or  gargon  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  who 
came  to  make  a  fire,  if  it  was  spring  or  fall,  or  to  place  more 
wood  on  the  fire,  if  it  was  winter.  At  the  same  time  the 
gargons  of  the  Chamber  quietly  opened  the  blinds  of  the 
windows,  and  removed  the  night-lamp  ^  and  candle,  which 
had  burned  all  night.  They  removed  also  the  collation  for 
the  night  (consisting  of  bread,  wine,  and  water,  plates  and 

^The   night-lamp   consisted   of   a   wick    placed    in    a    large    piece    of 

yellow  wax. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

napkins,  a  cup,  and  a  cup  for  the  trial),  and  took  away  the 
camp-bed  of  the  first  valet  de  chamhre.  This  being  done, 
all  retired  with  the  exception  of  the  first  valet  de  chamhre. 
When  the  palace  clock  began  to  strike  eight,  he  approached 
the  king's  bed,^  and  said  to  the  monarch,  *  Sire,  it  is  the  hour/ 
Then  he  went  to  open  the  door  for  the  gargons  of  the  Cham- 
ber, one  of  whom  had  gone  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  to 
summon  the  grand  chamberlain  and  the  first  gentleman  of  the 
Chamber  on  duty,  if  they  were  not  already  in  the  antecham- 
ber, while  another  had  gone  to  bid  the  Goblet  and  the  Bouche 
bring  the  king's  breakfast;  a  third  took  possession  of  the 
king's  door  to  admit  into  the  chamber  only  those  persons 
who,  from  their  rank  or  on  account  of  the  offices  they  held, 
were  permitted  to  enter  when  the  king  was  awake,  but  still 
in  bed."  ^  Both  sides  of  the  double  door  were  opened  only 
for  Monseigneur  and  for  the  princes  of  the  blood ;  for  others 
but  one  was  opened  for  each  person  admitted,  and  closed 
again  immediately.  People  never  knocked,  but  scratched 
lightly  on  the  panel.  The  entrees  which  preceded  the  general 
entrance  of  the  courtiers  were  four :  ( i )  the  entree  familiere, 
for  the  princes;  (2)  the  grande  entree,  for  the  great  officers 
of  the  crown;  (3)  the  first  entree,  for  those  who  on  account 
of  their  posts  had  the  right  of  entrance;  (4)  the  entree  of  the 
Chamber,  for  the  officers  of  the  Chamber. 

The  entree  familiere  took  place  as  soon  as  the  king  was 
awake,  and  the  persons  who  entered  were  Mgr.  le  Grand 
Dauphin,  his  sons,  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  the  Due  de 
Berry,  Monsieur,  the  king's  brother,  the  Due  du  Maine  and 
the  Comte  de  Toulouse,  sons  of  the  king  and  Madame  de 

*  The    canopy    of   the   king's    bed  gold,  with  curtains  at  each  corner, 

was  not  arranged  as  it  is  at  present  Until   the   king  woke,   the  curtains 

(a  la  duchesse),  but  extended  over  were   closed.     At  the   four  corners 

the  whole  bed,  and  was  supported  of  the  canopy  were  white  plumes, 
by   four  posts   covered   with   hang-       '  Etat  de  la  France  (1712). 
ings   of  red  velvet   embroidered   in 


'A 


eq 


His  Daily  Life 

Montespan,  and  M.  le  Due,  grandson  of  the  Grand  Conde. 
It  was  their  time  to  speak  to  the  king,  and  if  any  one  of  them 
had  anything  to  ask  of  him,  the  rest  stood  aside. 

The  grandes  entrees  followed  almost  immediately,  that  is, 
by  a  quarter  past  eight,  and  the  persons  admitted  were  the 
grand  chamberlain,  the  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber,  the 
grand  master  of  the  Wardrobe,  the  masters  of  the  Wardrobe, 
the  first  valet  and  other  officers  of  the  Wardrobe,  who  car- 
ried the  king's  clothing,  the  first  doctor,  the  first  surgeon, 
and,  as  long  as  she  lived,  the  nurse  who  had  cared  for  the 
king  in  his  infancy.  "  The  latter  kissed  the  king ;  the  doctor 
and  the  surgeon  rubbed  him  and  often  changed  his  shirt, 
because  he  was  in  the  habit  of  sweating  a  great  deal."  ^ 
From  time  to  time  the  king  granted  the  grandes  entrees  to 
certain  persons  as  a  special  favor,  as  to  M.  de  Lauzun,  to  the 
Marechal  de  Boufiflers,  etc.,  and  the  noblemen  thus  distin- 
guished entered  with  the  grand  chamberlain  and  the  others. 

"  While  the  king  was  still  in  bed,  the  first  valet  de  chambre, 
holding  in  his  right  hand  a  flagon  of  spirits  of  wine,  poured 
it  upon  His  Majesty's  hands,  under  which  he  held  with  his 
left  hand  a  basin  of  silver-gilt.  The  grand  chamberlain, 
or  the  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber,  presented  the  vase 
of  holy  water  to  His  Majesty,  who  took  it,  making  the  sign 
of  the  cross.  If  the  princes  or  nobles  present  had  anything 
to  say  to  the  king,  they  could  speak  to  him  at  this  time."  ^ 
Usually  some  one  desired  to  speak  to  the  sovereign  for  a  mo- 
ment, but  if  not,  the  grand  chamberlain  presented  a  prayer- 
book  to  the  king,  and  the  princes  and  nobles  passed  into  the 
king's  cabinet.  After  a  short  religious  service,  during  which 
the  king  repeated  several  prayers,  and  which  did  not  last 
more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  His  Majesty  ordered  the 
princes  and  nobles  to  be  summoned  from  the  cabinet,  and 
they  reentered  the  bedchamber. 

*  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  21.  '  Etat  de  la  France  (1712). 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

"  Before  the  Icing  rose,  the  Sieur  Quentin,  his  barber, 
who  had  charge  of  the  wigs,  came  to  present  to  His  Majesty- 
two  wigs  of  different  lengths,  and  the  king  chose  the  one 
which  pleased  him  for  the  day.  As  soon  as  he  had  gotten 
out  of  bed,  the  king  put  on  his  slippers,  which  were  presented 
by  the  first  valet  de  chambre.  The  grand  chamberlain,  or 
the  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber,  handed  His  Majesty 
his  dressing-gown;  but  in  their  absence  the  first  valet  de 
chambre  could  present  the  dressing-gown  also.  Standing 
erect,  the  king  again  took  the  holy  water,  and  then  walked 
to  his  arm-chair,  which  was  placed  in  the  spot  where  His 
Majesty  was  accustomed  to  dress.  When  the  king  had 
passed  outside  the  balustrade,  a  valet  of  the  Wardrobe  en- 
tered, and  took  from  an  arm-chair  near  the  bed  the  king's 
knee-breeches  and  his  sword."  ^ 

As  soon  as  the  king  had  seated  himself  in  his  arm-chair, 
the  petit  lever  began.  Saint-Simon  cuts  this  short,  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Every  other  day  we  saw  him  shave  himself,  and  he 
had  a  little  short  wig  in  which  he  always  appeared,  even  in 
bed,  and  on  medicine  days.  He  often  spoke  of  the  chase, 
and  sometimes  said  a  word  to  somebody.  No  toilet-table  was 
near  him ;  he  had  simply  a  mirror  held  before  him."  ^  This 
is  a  very  meager  account  of  the  mechanism  of  the  petit  lever; 
and  it  is  necessary  to  turn  to  the  Etat  de  la  France  for  details : 

"  Then  the  grand  chamberlain,  or  the  first  gentleman  of 
the  Chamber,  or,  in  their  absence,  the  barber,  removed  the 
nightcap  from  the  king's  head  and  handed  it  to  a  valet  of 
the  Wardrobe.  The  king  shaved  himself;  and  the  first  valet 
de  chambre,  who  had  received  a  mirror  from  a  gargon  of 
the  Chamber,  held  it  before  His  Majesty.  While  he  was 
shaving,  the  king  asked  for  the  first  entree,  and  the  first 
gentleman  of  the  Chamber  repeated  the  words  aloud  to  the 
gargon  of  the  Chamber  who  was  at  the  door. 

^Etat  de  la  France  (1712).  =  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  21. 

158 


His  Daily  Life 

"  The  first  entree  began  at  that  moment,  that  is  to  say, 
when  the  gargon  of  the  Chamber  allowed  those  persons  to 
enter,  as  soon  as  they  presented  themselves,  whose  offices  gave 
them  that  right,  or  who  had  received  it,  in  some  few  in- 
stances by  special  privilege.  These  persons  were  the  secre- 
taries of  the  Cabinet,  the  first  valets  of  the  Wardrobe,  the 
two  readers  of  the  Chamber,  the  doctor  in  ordinary,  the  sur- 
geon in  ordinary,  the  intendant  of  the  crown  furniture,  cer- 
tain old  officers  to  whom  the  king  had  granted  the  right  as 
though  they  still  held  their  posts,  etc.  When  the  king  was 
shaved,  the  Sieur  Quentin  presented  to  him  the  wig  for  his 
lever,^  which  was  shorter  than  the  one  which  His  Majesty 
usually  wore  during  the  rest  of  the  day.  When  he  had  put 
on  his  wig,  and  as  the  officers  of  the  Wardrobe  approached 
to  dress  him,  the  king  asked  for  the  entree  of  the  Chamber. 
The  ushers  of  the  Chamber  entered  and  took  their  post  at 
the  king's  door,^  replacing  the  gargon  of  the  Chamber.  With 
them  entered  also  the  valets  of  the  Chamber,  the  cloak-bear- 
ers, the  gun-bearer,  the  other  officers  of  the  Chamber,  and  the 
ushers  of  the  Cabinet."  ^ 

At  this  moment  the  petit  lever  ended,  and  the  grand  lever 
began.  One  of  the  ushers  of  the  Chamber  placed  himself 
at  the  king's  door,  while  the  other  approached  the  first  gen- 
tleman of  the  Chamber  and  whispered  in  his  ear  the  names 
of  the  people  of  quality  who  were  in  the  grand  antechamber 
(for  example,  the  names  of  the  cardinals,  archbishops,  ambas- 
sadors, dukes,  peers,  governors  of  provinces,  presidents  of 
parliaments,  marshals  of  France,  etc.),  and  the  first  gentle- 

*  This   statement   does   not   agree  himself  says,  in  1717  from  the  re- 

with  that  of  Saint-Simon,  namely,  gent,  and  without  the  grande  entree 

that  the  king  wore  his  short  wig  in  he  could  not  have  seen  the  king  in 

bed ;  but  the  Etat  de  la  France  is  bed. 

probably    correct,    for    the    reason  ^  The  door  leading  from  the  royal 
that  while  Louis  XIV  lived  Saint-  bedchamber     to     the     grand     ante- 
Simon    did    not    have    the    grande  chamber. 
entree.      He  only  obtained  it,  as  he  'Etat  de  la  France  (1712). 


Versailles  "and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

man  of  the  Chamber  repeated  these  names  to  the  king.  The 
king  immediately  ordered  that  these  people  should  be  ad- 
mitted, or,  without  giving  the  order,  said  nothing  to  the  con- 
trary. The  usher,  after  transmitting  this  order  to  his  com- 
rade at  the  door,  took  his  place  before  the  king,  and  stood 
ready  to  arrange  the  crowd.  The  entrees  followed.  "  These 
entrees,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  called  simply  entrees,  were 
purely  personal ;  no  appointment  or  charge  gave  them.  They 
conferred  the  right  to  see  the  king  at  his  rising,  after  the 
grandes  entrees,  and  also  to  see  him,  but  under  difficulties, 
during  all  the  day  and  evening."  ^ 

"  The  usher  at  the  door  allowed  certain  persons,  for  whom 
there  was  a  general  order,  to  enter  as  soon  as  he  saw  them, 
as  the  Due  de  Vendome,  etc.,  and  at  the  same  time  he  per- 
mitted the  officers  of  the  Maison  du  Roi  to  enter  without 
asking  permission  for  them,  because  no  permission  was 
needed  for  those  officials.  Then  he  permitted  the  nobility 
to  enter,  but  with  some  discretion,  according  to  their  rank, 
or  the  importance  of  the  posts  they  held.  It  was  the  duty 
of  the  usher  to  ask  the  name  and  rank  of  all  persons  whom 
he  did  not  know,  and  it  was  not  proper  for  the  person  ques- 
tioned to  find  fault  with  him,  since  it  was  his  duty  to  know 
these  facts  about  all  who  entered. 

"  Meanwhile  the  king  was  dressing,  and  commenced  by 
putting  on  his  stockings.  A  valet  of  the  Wardrobe  handed 
the  under-stockings  and  garters  to  the  first  valet  of  the 
Wardrobe,  by  whom  the  stockings  were  presented  to  the 
king,  and  His  Majesty  drew  them  on  himself.  A  valet  of  the 
Wardrobe  presented  the  knee-breeches,  which  had  silk  stock- 
ings attached;  and  a  garqon  of  the  Wardrobe  put  on  the 
king's  shoes,  which  were  ornamented  with  diamond  buckles. 
Two  pages  of  the  Chamber  took  away  the  slippers,  while 
the  first  valet  of  the  Wardrobe  presented  the  garters  with 
their  diamond  buckles,  which  the  king  fastened  himself."  ^ 
^Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  8i.  '  Etat  de  la  France  (1712). 

160 


His  Daily  Life 

His  Majesty  then  asked  for  his  breakfast,  which  was 
brought  by  the  officers  of  the  Bouche  and  Goblet  on  a  ser- 
vice of  porcelain  and  gold;  but  whenever  the  king  drank, 
the  formalities  of  the  trial  (which  have  already  been  de- 
scribed in  the  chapter  on  the  Grand  Commun)  had  to  be 
taken. 

"  After  the  breakfast,  the  king  removed  his  dressing- 
gown,  and  the  master  of  the  Wardrobe  drew  off  his  night- 
dress, holding  it  by  the  right  sleeve,  while  the  first  valet  of 
the  Wardrobe  held  it  by  the  left;  the  night-dress  was  then 
handed  to  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Wardrobe.  Before  the 
removal  of  his  night-dress,  the  king  had  taken  from  it  the 
relics  that  he  wore  day  and  night,  and  had  given  them  to  the 
first  valet  de  chambre.  This  valet  carried  them  into  the  king's 
cabinet,  placed  them  in  a  little  sack  on  a  table  with  the 
king's  watch,  and  stood  guard  over  the  watch  and  relics  until 
the  king  entered  the  cabinet. 

"  A  valet  of  the  Wardrobe,  meanwhile,  brought  the  king's 
shirt,  which  had  been  warmed  if  the  weather  was  cold.  If 
Mgr.  le  Dauphin  was  at  the  lever  at  that  moment,  the  grand 
chamberlain,  or  the  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber,  or  the 
grand  master  of  the  Wardrobe,  received  the  shirt  from  the 
valet  of  the  Wardrobe,  and  presented  it  to  the  dauphin  to 
give  to  the  king;  in  the  absence  of  the  dauphin,  one  of  these 
officers  presented  the  shirt  to  the  Due  de  Bourgogne,  or  to 
the  Due  de  Berry,  or  to  the  Due  d'Orleans.  For  other 
princes  of  the  blood  the  shirt  was  not  passed  to  the  grand 
chamberlain,  or  to  the  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber,  but 
was  handed  by  the  valet  of  the  Wardrobe  directly  to  the 
prince,  who,  before  presenting  it  to  the  king,  placed  his  hat, 
gloves,  and  cane  in  the  hands  of  the  valet.  If  no  princes 
of  the  blood  were  present,  the  grand  chamberlain,  or  the 
first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber,  or  the  grand  master  of  the 
Wardrobe  handed  the  shirt  to  the  king.  While  the  king 
was  removing  his  night-dress  and  putting  on  his  shirt,  two 

"  i6i 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

valets  of  the  Chamber  stood  beside  his  arm-chair,  holding 
up  his  dressing-gown  to  conceal  him  from  the  crowd. 

"  The  king  then  rose  from  his  chair.  The  valets  of  the 
Wardrobe  brought  the  sword,  the  vest,  and  the  cordon  bleu. 
The  grand  master  of  the  Wardrobe  fastened  the  sword  at  the 
king's  side,  put  on  the  vest,  and  placed  over  it  the  blue  ribbon, 
at  the  end  of  which  were  attached  the  cross  of  the  Order 
of  St.  Esprit  in  diamonds  and  the  cross  of  the  Order  of 
St.  Louis,  with  its  small  red  ribbon;  both  crosses  hung  be- 
side the  sword.  A  valet  of  the  Wardrobe  handed  the  king's 
coat  to  the  grand  master  of  the  Wardrobe,  and  the  latter 
assisted  His  Majesty  in  putting  it  on.  If  by  chance,  as 
sometimes  happened  when  the  king  was  with  the  army,  none 
of  the  great  officers  of  the  crown  were  at  the  lever,  then  all 
the  various  articles  of  clothing  were  presented  to  the  king 
by  the  valets  of  the  Wardrobe.  A  number  of  cravats  were 
then  brought  in  a  basket,  and  the  king  chose  the  one  he 
wished.  The  master  of  the  Wardrobe  presented  it  to  him, 
but  the  king  fastened  it  himself.  A  valet  of  the  Wardrobe 
brought  three  lace  handkerchiefs  on  a  tray  of  silver-gilt;  the 
master  of  the  Wardrobe  presented  the  tray,  and  the  king  took 
one  or  more  handkerchiefs,  as  he  pleased.  Whenever  the  king 
was  in  his  dressing-gown,  in  bed,  or  indisposed,  only  the 
grand  master  of  the  Wardrobe  could  present  the  handker- 
chiefs; on  other  occasions  the  master  of  the  Wardrobe  pre- 
sented them.  The  master  of  the  Wardrobe  also  presented  to 
the  king  his  hat,  gloves,  and  cane."  ^ 

While  His  Majesty  was  dressing,  the  nobility  having  the 
entrees  were  continually  entering  the  bedchamber;  the  usher 
at  the  door  was  constantly  coming  and  going  to  ask  the  first 

x^  gentleman  of  the   Chamber  permission   for  one  person  or 

{  another,   a  permission  which   the  first   gentleman  obtained 

\  from  the  king ;  and  the  usher  of  the  Chamber  was  arranging 

*Etat  de  la- France  (1712). 
162 


His  Daily  Life 

the  crowd.  Conversation  among  the  nobiUty  was  carried  on 
in  very  low  tones,  and  if  any  one  spoke  too  loud,  the  usher 
requested  silence.  The  majority  of  persons  having  the 
grandes  entrees  had  already  passed  into  the  king's  cabinet, 
or  otherwise  the  bedchamber,  large  as  it  was,  could  not  have 
contained  the  crowd.  The  Grand  Monarch  dressed  ^  sur- 
rounded by  150  or  200  people. 

"  As  soon  as  he  was  dressed,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  he 
prayed  to  God  at  the  side  of  his  bed,  where  all  the  clergy 
present  knelt,  the  cardinals  without  cushions,  all  the  laity 
remaining  standing;  the  captain  of  the  guards  came  to  the 
balustrade  during  the  prayer."  ^  The  Etat  de  la  France  com- 
pletes the  details :  "  When  he  was  dressed,  the  king  passed 
immediately  behind  the  balustrade,  and  knelt  on  two  cushions 
which  a  valet  of  the  Wardrobe  had  placed  on  the  floor  before 
an  arm-chair  near  the  bed.  This  valet  stood  inside  the 
balustrade.  The  king  took  holy  water  and  prayed  to  God, 
and,  at  the  end,  the  grand  almoner  of  France,  or  the  first 
almoner,  repeated  in  a  low  voice  the  prayer,  Qucesumus  om- 
nipotens  Deus,  ut  famulus  tuus  Ludovicus  rex  noster,  etc. 
The  king  again  took  holy  water,  and  went  out."  ^ 

When  the  king,  followed  by  the  captain  of  the  guards, 
passed  from  his  bedchamber  into  his  cabinet,  the  lever  ended, 
and  the  morning  began. 

As  a  masterpiece  of  etiquette  the  lever  of  the  Grand  Mon- 
arch has  never  been  equaled,  nor  can  its  like  ever  be  seen 
again,  for  the  circumstances  out  of  which  it  grew  and  of 
which  it  was  the  logical  result  can  never  again  exist.  In  the 
splendor  of  its  appointments,  in  the  number  of  persons  in- 

1  While  the  king  dressed,  a  valet  maker  entered  to  wind  and  set  the 

de  chambre  held  a  mirror  before  him,  clocks  in  the  chamber  and  cabinets, 

and  if  he  rose  early,  and  the  morn-  and  His  Majesty's  watch,  placed  on 

ing  was  dark,  valets  holding  silver  a  table  in  the  cabinet  in  charge  of 

candlesticks    with    lighted    candles  the  first  valet  de  chambre. 

stood  at  either  side.  '  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  21. 

During  the ^raw^Z-ft/^r the  clock-  'Etat  de  la  France  (1712). 

163 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

volved  in  its  marvelous  mechanism,  and  above  all  in  the 
ease,  the  smoothness,  the  grace,  the  dignity,  which  a  life- 
time of  training  gave  to  each  motion  and  act  of  gargon,  valet, 
grand  officer,  peer,  or  prince,  it  was  unique.  The  Grand 
Monarch  himself  performed  his  part  with  unparalleled  ma- 
jesty; and  a  man  who  rose  and  began  his  day  under  such 
auspices  may  be  pardoned  for  considering  himself  apart  from, 
and  superior  to,  other  men. 


THE  MORNING 

"  After  the  prayer,  the  king,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  passed 
into  his  cabinet.  He  found  there  or  was  followed  by  all 
who  had  the  entree,  a  very  numerous  company,  for  it  in- 
cluded everybody  in  any  office.  He  gave  orders  to  each  for 
the  day;  thus  within  half  a  quarter  of  an  hour  it  was  known 
what  he  meant  to  do,  and  then  all  this  crowd  left  directly. 
The  bastards,  a  few  favorites,  and  the  valets  alone  were  left. 
It  was  then  a  good  opportunity  for  talking  with  the  king, — 
for  example,  about  plans  of  gardens  and  buildings, — and  the 
conversation  lasted  more  or  less  according  to  the  persons 
engaged  in  it.  All  the  court,  meanwhile,  waited  for  the  king 
in  the  gallery,  the  captain  of  the  guards  being  alone  in  the 
chamber,  seated  at  the  door  of  the  cabinet.  During  this  pause 
the  king  gave  audiences  when  he  wished  to  accord  any,  spoke 
to  any  persons  he  might  wish  to  speak  to  secretly,  and  gave 
secret  interviews  to  foreign  ministers  in  presence  of  Torcy, 
They  were  called  '  secret '  simply  to  distinguish  them  from 
the  uncommon  ones  by  the  bedside. 

"  The  king  then  went  to  mass,  where  his  musicians  always 
sang  an  anthem.  He  came  and  went  by  the  door  of  the 
cabinets  into  the  gallery;  and  while  he  was  going  to  and 
returning  from  mass,  everybody  spoke  to  him  who  wished, 
after  apprising  the  captain  of  the  guards,  if  they  were  not 

164 


His  Daily  Life 

distinguished.  He  did  not  go  below  ^  except  on  grand  fetes 
or  at  ceremonies.  ,  .  .  During  all  his  life,  the  king  failed 
only  once  in  his  attendance  at  mass;  it  was  when  he  was 
with  the  army  during  a  forced  march.  He  missed  no  fast- 
day,  unless  really  indisposed.  Some  days  before  Lent  he 
declared  publicly  that  he  should  be  very  much  displeased  if 
any  one  ate  meat  or  gave  it  to  others,  under  any  pretext. 
He  ordered  the  grand  provost  to  look  to  this  and  report  all 
cases  of  disobedience;  but  no  one  dared  to  disobey  his  com- 
mands, for  they  would  soon  have  found  out  the  cost.  They 
extended  even  to  Paris,  where  the  lieutenant  of  police  kept 
watch  and  reported.  For  twelve  or  fifteen  years  the  king 
himself,  however,  had  not  observed  Lent.  At  church  he  was 
very  respectful.  During  his  mass  everybody  was  obliged  to 
kneel  at  the  Sanctus,  and  to  remain  so  until  after  the  com- 
munion of  the  priest,  and  if  he  heard  the  least  noise,  or  saw 
anybody  talking  during  the  mass,  he  was  much  displeased. 
At  the  mass  he  said  his  chaplet  (he  knew  no  more),  always 
kneeling,  except  at  the  Gospel.  On  Holy  Thursday  he  served 
the  poor  at  dinner.  He  took  the  communion  five  times  a  year, 
in  the  collar  of  the  order,^  band,  and  cloak."  ^  The  cere- 
mony of  the  king's  communion  was  as  follows :  "  After  the 
elevation  of  the  mass,  a  folding-chair  was  pushed  to  the  foot 
of  the  altar,  and  was  covered  with  a  piece  of  stuff,  and  then 
with  a  large  cloth,  which  hung  down  before  and  behind.  At 
the  Pater,  the  chaplain  rose  and  whispered  in  the  king's  ear 
the  names  of  all  the  dukes  who  were  in  the  chapel.  The  king 
named  two,  always  the  oldest,  to  each  of  whom  the  chaplain 
advanced  and  made  a  reverence.     During  the  communion  of 

^  That   is  to   say,  on  the  ground  presented   the   collar   of  the   Order 

floor  of  the  chapel.     The  king  usu-  of  St.  Esprit,  and  the  officers  of  the 

ally  sat  in  his  tribune.  Wardrobe    fastened    it    above    the 

^  On    such    occasions    the    grand  cloak, 

master  of  the  Wardrobe  placed  the  '  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  27. 
cloak  on  the  king's  shoulders,  and 

165 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

the  priest  the  king  rose  and  went  and  knelt  down  on  the 
marble  floor  behind  this  folding-chair  and  took  hold  of  the 
cloth ;  at  the  same  time  the  two  dukes,  the  elder  on  the  right, 
the  other  on  the  left,  each  took  hold  of  a  corner  of  the  cloth ; 
the  two  chaplains  took  hold  of  the  other  two  corners  of  the 
same  cloth,  on  the  side  of  the  altar,  all  four  kneeling,  and 
the  captain  of  the  guards  also  kneeling,  and  behind  the  king. 
The  communion  received  and  the  oblation  taken  some  mo- 
ments afterward,  the  king  remained  a  little  while  in  the  same 
place,  and  then  returned  to  his  own,  followed  by  the  two 
dukes  and  the  captain  of  the  guards,  who  took  theirs.  If  a  son 
of  France  happened  to  be  there  alone,  he  alone  held  the  right 
corner  of  the  cloth,  and  nobody  the  other;  and  when  M.  le 
Due  d'Orleans  was  there,  and  no  son  of  France  was  present, 
M.  le  Due  d'Orleans  held  the  cloth  in  like  manner.  If  a 
prince  of  the  blood  was  present  alone,  however,  he  held  the 
cloth,  but  a  duke  was  called  forward  to  assist  him.  He  was 
not  privileged  to  act  without  the  duke."  ^ 

"  During  the  mass  the  ministers  assembled  in  the  king's 
chamber,  where  distinguished  people  could  go  and  speak  or 
chat  with  them.  Upon  returning  from  mass,  the  king  amused 
himself  a  little,  and  asked  almost  immediately  for  the  council. 
Then  the  morning  was  finished."  ^ 

THE  COUNCIL 

"  On  Sunday,  and  often  on  Monday,  there  was  a  Council  of 
State;  on  Tuesday,  a  Finance  Council;  on  Wednesday,  a 
Council  of  State;  on  Saturday,  a  Finance  Council.  Rarely 
were  two  held  in  one  day,  or  any  on  Thursday  or  Friday. 
Once  or  twice  a  month  there  was  a  Council  of  Despatches  on 
Monday  morning;  but  the  orders  that  the  secretaries  of  state 
took  every  morning  between  the  king's  lever  and  his  mass 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  2.  '  Idem,  III,  p.  22. 

i66 


His  Daily  Life 

much  abridged  this  kind  of  business.  All  the  ministers  were 
seated  according  to  their  rank,  except  at  the  Council  of  Des- 
patches, where  all  stood,  except  the  sons  of  France,  the 
chancellor,  and  the  Due  de  Beauvilliers. 

"  Thursday  morning  was  almost  always  blank.  It  was 
the  day  for  audiences  that  the  king  wished  to  give,  often 
unknown  to  any  one,  back-stair  audiences.  It  was  also  the 
grand  day  taken  advantage  of  by  the  bastards  ^  and  the 
valets,  because  the  king  had  nothing  to  do.  On  Friday  after 
the  mass  the  king  was  with  his  confessor,  and  the  length 
of  their  audience  was  limited  by  nothing,  and  might  last 
until  dinner.  On  the  mornings,  at  Fontainebleau,  when  there 
was  no  council,  the  king  usually  went  from  mass  to  the 
apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  so  at  Trianon  and 
Marly.  It  was  the  time  of  their  tete-a-tete  without  interrup- 
tion. Often  on  the  days  when  there  was  no  council  the  din- 
ner-hour was  advanced,  more  or  less,  for  the  chase  or  the 
promenade.  The  ordinary  hour  was  one  o'clock;  but  if  the 
council  still  lasted,  then  dinner  waited,  and  nothing  was  said 
to  the  king."  2 

THE    DINNER 

The  ceremony  with  which  the  King's  Meat  was  brought  from 
the  Grand  Commun  to  the  palace,  and  the  various  duties  of 
the  officers  of  the  Maison  du  Rot,  have  already  been  de- 
scribed in  the  chapter  on  the  Grand  Commun.  The  etiquette 
attending  the  preparation  of  the  king's  table  has  been  men- 
tioned also.  These  arrangements  were  completed  while  the 
council  was  still  in  session.  When  the  council  broke  up,  the 
king  passed  from  his  cabinet  into  his  bedchamber,  where  he 
dined  in  the  presence  of  a  crowd  of  nobles. 

"  The  dinner  being  ready,  the  principal  courtiers  entered^ 

^  The  Due  du  Maine  and  the  Comte  de  Toulouse. 

'  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  23. 

167 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

then  all  who  were  known;  and  the  first  gentleman  of  the 
Chamber  on  duty  informed  the  king.  The  dinner  was  al- 
ways au  petit  convert,  that  is,  the  king  ate  by  himself  in 
his  chamber  upon  a  square  table  in  front  of  the  middle  win- 
dow. It  was  more  or  less  abundant,  for  he  ordered  in  the 
morning  whether  it  was  to  be  a  *  little '  or  a  '  very  little ' 
service ;  but  even  at  the  latter  there  were  always  many  dishes, 
and  three  courses  without  counting  the  fruit. 

"  I  have  seen,  but  very  rarely,  Monseigneur  and  his  sons 
standing  at  their  dinners,  the  king  not  offering  them  a  seat. 
I  have  continually  seen  there  the  princes  of  the  blood  and  the 
cardinals.  I  have  often  seen  there  also  Monsieur,  either 
on  arriving  from  St.  Cloud  to  see  the  king,  or  arriving  from 
the  Council  of  Despatches  (the  only  one  he  entered),  give  the 
king  his  napkin  and  remain  standing.  A  little  while  after- 
ward, the  king,  seeing  that  he  did  not  go  away,  asked  him 
if  he  would  not  sit  down ;  he  bowed,  and  the  king  ordered  a 
seat  to  be  brought  for  him.  A  stool  was  put  behind  him. 
Some  moments  after  the  king  said,  *  Nay  then,  sit  down,  my 
brother.'  Monsieur  bowed  and  seated  himself  until  the  end 
of  the  dinner,^  when  he  presented  the  napkin.  At  other  times 
when  he  came  from  St.  Cloud,  the  king,  on  arriving  at  table, 
asked  for  a  plate  for  Monsieur,  or  asked  him  if  he  would 
dine.    If  he  refused,  he  went  away  a  moment  after,  and  there 

^A   manuscript  in  the  library  at  "Entrees:   i  quartier  de  veau  et 

Versailles  gives  the  menu  of  one  of  une  piece  autour ;  le  tout  de  20 

the  king's  dinners,  for  "  two  dishes,  livres  ;— 12  pigeons  pour  tourte. 

two    plates,    five    courses,    and    the  "  Petites  entrees:  6  poulets  iricas- 

hors-d'ceuvre,"  as  follows :  ses ;— 2  perdrix  en  hachis. 

"  Potages:  2  chapons  vieux  pour  "  Quatre     petites     entrees     hors- 

potage     de     sante; — 4     perdrix  d'ceuvre:   3  perdrix  au  jus; — 6 

aux  choux.  tourtes  a  la  braise ; — 2  dindons 

"  Petits   potages:    6    pigeonneaux  grilles ;— 3     poulets     gras     aux 

de   voliere   pour   bisque ; — i    de  truffes. 

cretes  et  beatilles.  "Rot:    2    chapons    gras; — 9   pou- 

"  Deux      petits      potages      hors-  lets ;  —  9    pigeons ;  —  2     hetou- 

d'ocuvre:   i  chapon  hache  pour  deaux; — 6  perdrix; — 4  tourtes." 

un; — I  perdrix  pour  I'autre.  Dussieux,  II,  p.  141. 

168 


His  Daily  Life 

was  no  mention  of  a  seat;  if  he  accepted,  the  king  asked  for 
a  plate  for  him.  The  table  was  square,  and  Monsieur  placed 
himself  at  one  side,  his  back  to  the  cabinet.  Then  the  grand 
chamberlain,  or  the  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber,  gave 
him  drink  and  plates,  taking  them  from  him  as  he  finished 
with  them,  exactly  as  he  served  the  king;  but  Monsieur  re- 
ceived all  this  attention  with  strongly  marked  politeness. 
When  he  dined  thus  with  the  king,  he  much  enlivened  the 
conversation.  The  king  ordinarily  spoke  little  at  table  unless 
some  familiar  courtier  was  near.  It  was  the  same  at  his 
lever.  Ladies  were  scarcely  ever  seen  at  these  dinners.  I 
have,  however,  seen  the  Marechale  de  la  Mothe,  who  came 
in  because  she  had  been  accustomed  to  do  so  as  governess 
to  the  Children  of  France,  and  who  received  a  seat  because 
she  was  a  duchess.  Grand  dinners  were  very  rare,  taking 
place  only  on  grand  occasions,  and  then  ladies  were  present."  ^ 
The  king  made  but  two  meals  a  day,  for  the  breakfast 
which  he  took  at  his  lever  was  a  mere  nothing.  He  had  a 
hearty  appetite,  and  was  a  heavy  eater.^  "  He  ate  so  pro- 
digiously and  so  solidly  morning  and  evening,"  says  Saint- 
Simon,  "that  no  one  could  get  accustomed  to  see  it."  Fa- 
gon  was  continually  preaching  moderation  in  this  respect, 
and  squabbling  continually  with  the  officers  of  the  Maison 
du  Roi,  who  answered  that  it  was  their  business  to  feed  the 
king,  and  Fagon's  to  doctor  him.  He  had  to  fight  constantly 
the  bad  results  of  the  king's  overeating,  and  in  spite  of  the 
unfavorable  opinion  of  the  doctor's  methods,  as  given  by 
Saint-Simon  and  the  Palatine,  a  perusal  of  the  Journal  de 
la  Sante  du  Roi  convinces  one  that  it  required  great  skill 
on  the  part  of  Fagon  to  keep  the  Grand  Monarch  in  good 

^  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  24.  their  volume  and  extent,  whence  it 

'  After  the  king's  death,  the  post-   came  that  he  was  such  a  great  yet 

mortem   threw    some   light    on   this    uniform    eater."      Saint-Simon,    II, 

subject.      "  His  stomach    above    all   p.  348. 

astonished,  and  also  his  bowels  by 

169 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

health  until  his  seventy-seventh  year.  At  the  last,  Fagon 
was  old  and  had  lost  his  grip,  and  his  treatment  of  the  king 
in  his  final  illness  was  undoubtedly  a  mistake.  Fagon  was 
more  the  master  at  Versailles  than  at  Marly.  At  Versailles 
the  king's  dinner  was  au  petit  convert,  and  his  supper  an 
grand  convert,  but  at  Marly  both  dinner  and  supper  were 
au  grand  convert.  The  king  loved  the  Marlys,  though  they 
frequently  made  him  ill.  There  were  three  reasons  for  the 
king's  continuing  his  course  in  spite  of  his  doctor  :  his  natural 
inclination,  the  delicious  dishes  that  La  Quintinie  took  pains 
to  send  him,  and  the  fact  that  the  courtiers  desired  to  see 
him  eat  to  advantage.  "  Temptation,"  said  Fagon,  "  prevents 
him  from  restraining  himself." 

"  All  the  year  round  the  king  ate  at  supper  a  prodigious 
quantity  of  salad.  His  soups,  several  of  which  he  partook 
of  morning  and  evening,  were  full  of  gravy,  and  were  of 
exceeding  strength,  and  everything  that  was  served  to  him 
was  full  of  spice,  to  double  the  usual  extent,  and  very  strong 
also.  This  regimen  and  the  sweetmeats  together  Fagon  did 
not  like,  and  sometimes  while  seeing  the  king  eat,  he  would 
make  most  amusing  grimaces,  without  daring,  however, 
to  say  anything  except  now  and  then  to  Livry  and  Benoist. 
.  ,  .  The  king  never  ate  any  kind  of  venison  or  water-fowl, 
but  otherwise  partook  of  everything,  fete-days  and  fast-days 
alike,  except  that  during  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life 
he  observed  some  few  days  of  Lent.  .  .  .  For  many  years 
he  had  drunk  nothing  but  Burgundy  wine,  half  mixed 
with  water,  and  so  old  that  it  was  used  up,  instead  of  the 
best  champagne  which  he  had  used  all  his  life.^  He  would 
pleasantly  say  sometimes  that  foreign  lords  who  were 
anxious  to  taste  the  wine  he  used  were  often  mightily  de- 
ceived. At  no  time  had  he  ever  drunk  pure  wine,  or  made 
use  in  any  way  of  spirits,  or  even  tea,  coffee,  or  chocolate. 
^  That  is,  up  to  1694,  when  Fagon  substituted  the  Burgundy. 
170 


His  Daily  Life 

Upon  rising,  instead  of  a  little  bread  and  wine  and  water, 
he  had  taken  for  a  long  time  two  glasses  of  sage  and  veron- 
ica; often  between  his  meals,  and  always  on  going  to  bed, 
glasses  of  water  with  a  little  orange-flower  water  in  them, 
and  always  iced.  Even  on  the  days  when  he  had  medicine 
he  drank  this,  and  always  also  at  his  meals,  between  which 
he  never  ate  anything  except  some  cinnamon  lozenges  which 
he  put  into  his  pocket  at  his  dessert,  with  some  biscuits  for 
the  dogs  he  kept  in  his  cabinets."  ^ 

THE   AFTERNOON 

"  Upon  leaving  the  table  the  king  immediately  entered  his 
cabinet.  That  was  the  time  for  distinguished  people  to  speak 
to  him.  He  stopped  at  the  door  a  moment  to  listen,  then 
entered;  very  rarely  did  any  one  follow  him,  never  without 
asking  him  for  permission  to  do  so,  and  for  this  few  had  the 
courage.  If  followed  he  placed  himself  in  the  embrasure  of 
the  window  nearest  to  the  door  of  the  cabinet,  which  im- 
mediately closed  of  itself,  and  which  you  were  obliged  to 
open  yourself  on  quitting  the  king.  This  was  also  the  time 
for  the  bastards  and  the  valets.  The  king  amused  himself 
by  feeding  his  dogs,^  and  remained  with  them  more  or  less 
time,  then  asked  for  his  wardrobe,  changed  before  the  very 
few  distinguished  people  it  pleased  the  first  gentleman  of  the 
Chamber  to  admit  there,  and  immediately  went  out  by  the 
back  stairs  into  the  court  of  marble  to  get  into  his  coach. 
From  the  bottom  of  that  staircase  to  the  coach,  any  one  spoke 
to  him  who  wished. 

"  The  king  was  very  fond  of  air  and  exercise,  and  when 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  347.  at  Marly,  are  to-day  at  the  Louvre. 

^  Desportes   painted   the   portraits    The     dogs     were     named     Diane, 
of  the  favorite  setters  and  pointers    Blonde,      Bonne,     Nonne,     Panne, 
of  Louis  XIV,  and  these  pictures.    Folle,  and  Mitte. 
formerly  in  the  king's  bedchamber 

171 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

deprived  of  them  his  health  suffered;  he  had  headaches  and 
vapors  caused  by  the  undue  use  he  had  formerly  made  of 
perfumes,  so  that  for  many  years  he  could  not  endure  any, 
except  the  odor  of  orange-flowers;  therefore  if  you  had  to 
approach  anywhere  near  him  you  did  well  not  to  carry  them. 
As  he  was  but  little  sensitive  to  heat  or  cold,  or  even  to  rain, 
the  weather  was  seldom  sufficiently  bad  to  prevent  his  going 
abroad.  He  went  out  for  three  objects :  stag-hunting,  once  or 
more  each  week;  shooting  in  his  parks  (and  no  man  handled 
a  gun  with  more  grace  or  skill),  once  or  twice  each  week; 
and  walking  in  his  gardens  for  exercise  and  to  see  his  work- 
men. The  stag-hunts  were  on  an  extensive  scale.  At  Fon- 
tainebleau  every  one  went  who  wished ;  elsewhere  only  those 
were  allowed  to  go  who  had  obtained  the  permission  once  for 
all,  and  those  who  had  obtained  leave  to  wear  the  justaiicorps, 
a  blue  uniform  with  gold  and  silver  lace,  lined  with  red. 
The  king  did  not  like  too  many  people  at  these  hunts.  He 
did  not  care  for  you  to  go  if  you  were  not  fond  of  the  chase. 
He  thought  that  ridiculous,  and  never  bore  ill  will  to  those 
who  stopped  away  altogether."  ^ 

For  many  years  the  king  followed  the  hunt  on  horseback; 
but  in  1683  he  was  thrown  from  his  horse  in  the  hunt  at 
Fontainebleau,  and  broke  his  arm.  Thereafter  he  hunted 
usually  in  a  caleche,  which  in  his  case  was  a  light  chaise  on 
two  wheels,  with  a  hood.  He  rode  alone  at  full  speed,  driving 
his  four  horses  with  a  grace  and  dexterity  not  equaled  by 
the  best  coachmen.  When  he  went  to  shoot  in  his  parks,  he 
was  attended  by  pages  and  gun-bearers. 

In  his  promenades  in  the  gardens  of  Versailles  and  Trianon 
all  the  courtiers  could  follow  him,  but  elsewhere  only  those 
holding  the  chief  posts  were  permitted  to  do  so.  In  the 
latter  years  of  his  life  the  king  frequently  promenaded  in 
his  gardens  in  a  wheeled  chair,  pushed  by  valets,  with  a 
^  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  25. 
172 


i.ouis  XI  \    in  ihe  Gardens  of  Trianon 


His  Daily  Life 


handle  in  front  wliich  enabled  him  to  steer  himself.  The 
courtiers  followed  on  foot,  or  in  chairs  of  like  pattern.  The 
stag-hunts  and  the  promenades  were  magnificent  spectacles. 

On  returning  from  hunting  or  driving,  the  king's  coach 
pulled  up  at  the  steps  of  the  marble  courtyard,  and  from  the 
moment  that  the  Grand  Monarch  alighted  from  his  coach 
until  he  reached  his  private  staircase,  any  one  was  at  liberty 
to  speak  to  him.  He  went  up  to  his  bedchamber,  changed  his 
dress  with  the  usual  ceremonies,  and  passed  into  his  cabinet, 
where  he  rested  or  worked  for  an  hour  or  more.  Then, 
followed  by  the  captain  of  the  guards,  he  went  to  the  apart- 
ments of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  on  the  way  any  one 
spoke  to  him  who  desired  to  do  so. 


THE  SUPPER 

"  At  ten  o'clock  his  supper  was  served.  The  captain  of  the 
guards  announced  this  to  him.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  after, 
the  king  came  to  supper,  and  from  the  antechamber  of 
Madame  de  Maintenon  to  the  table,  any  one  spoke  to  him  who 
wished.  The  supper  was  always  on  a  grand  scale,  the  royal 
family  (that  is,  the  sons  and  daughters  of  France)  at  table, 
and  a  large  number  of  courtiers  and  ladies  present,  sitting 
or  standing,  and  on  the  evening  before  the  journey  to  Marly 
all  those  ladies  who  wished  to  take  part  in  it.  That  was 
called  presenting  yourself  for  Marly.  Men  asked  in  the 
morning,  simply  saying  to  the  king,  '  Sire,  Marly.'  In  later 
years  the  king  grew  tired  of  this,  and  a  valet  wrote  up  in 
the  gallery  the  names  of  those  who  asked.  The  ladies  con- 
tinued to  present  themselves."  ^ 

The  supper  was  served  in  the  first  antechamber  (between 
the  Hall  of  the  King's  Guards  and  the  CEil-de-Boouf)  and 
with  much  ceremony  by  the  officers  of  the  Maison  du  Roi. 

^  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  26. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

This  antechamber  is  not  as  large  as  some  of  the  other  private 
apartments  of  the  king,  and  the  crowd  of  courtiers,  who 
stood  while  royalty  supped,  must  have  filled  the  room  com- 
pletely. 

"  In  general,"  says  the  Palatine,  "  the  king  would  have 
no  persons  at  his  table  but  members  of  the  royal  family; 
as  for  the  princesses  of  the  blood,  there  were  so  many  of 
them  that  the  ordinary  table  would  not  have  held  them, 
and,  indeed,  when  we  were  all  there,  it  was  quite  full.  The 
king  used  to  sit  in  the  middle,  and  had  Monseigneur  and  the 
Due  de  Bourgogne  at  his  right,^  and  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne  and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  at  his  left;  on  one  of  the 
sides  Monsieur  and  I  sat;  and  on  the  other,  my  son  and  his 
wife;^  the  other  parts  of  the  table  were  reserved  for  the 
noblemen  in  waiting,  who  did  not  take  their  places  behind 
the  king,  but  opposite  to  him.  When  the  princesses  of  the 
blood  or  any  other  ladies  were  received  at  the  king's  table, 
we  were  waited  on,  not  by  noblemen,  but  by  other  officers 
of  the  Maison  du  Roi.  The  king  upon  such  occasions  was 
waited  on  by  his  first  maitre  d'hotel.  .  .  .  The  king,  Mon- 
sieur, Monseigneur,  and  the  Due  de  Berry  were  all  great 
eaters.  I  have  seen  the  king  eat  four  platefuls  of  different 
soups,  a  whole  pheasant,  a  partridge,  a  plateful  of  salad, 
mutton  hashed  with  garlic,  two  good-sized  slices  of  ham, 
a  dish  of  pastry,  and  afterward  fruit  and  sweetmeats.  The 
king  and  Monsieur  were  very  fond  of  hard  eggs."  ^  At  the 
conclusion  of  supper  the  king  passed  through  the  grand  ante- 
chamber to  his  bedchamber. 

^  This  does  not  agree  with  Saint-  haps,  any  man  outside  of  the  royal 

Simon's  statement,  "  Except  at  the  family. 

army,  the  king  never  ate  with  any  "The     Due     and     Duchesse     de 

man,      under      whatever      circum-  Chartres. 

stances."     But  as  Saint-Simon  him-  '  Memoirs  of  Elizabeth-Charlotte, 

self     mentions     Monsieur's     dining  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  pp.  67-68. 
with    Louis    XIV,    he   means,   per- 


His  Daily  Life 

THE   EVENING 

"  On  leaving  table,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  the  king  stopped 
less  than  a  half-quarter  of  an  hour  with  his  back  to  the  bal- 
ustrade at  the  foot  of  his  bed.  He  found  there  in  a  circle  all 
the  ladies  who  had  been  at  his  supper,  and  who  came  there 
to  wait  for  him  a  little  before  he  left  table,  except  the  ladies 
who  sat,  who  came  out  after  him,  and  who,  in  the  suite  of  the 
princes  and  princesses  who  had  supped  with  him,  advanced 
one  by  one  and  made  him  a  curtsy,  and  filled  up  the  remain- 
der of  the  standing  circle;  for  a  space  was  always  left  for 
them  by  the  other  ladies.  The  men  stood  behind.  The  king 
amused  himself  by  observing  the  dresses  and  countenances 
of  the  ladies  and  the  grace  of  their  curtsies,  said  a  word  to 
the  princes  and  princesses  who  had  supped  with  him,  and 
who  closed  the  circle  near  him  on  either  hand,  then  bowed  to 
the  ladies  on  right  and  left,  bowed  once  or  twice  more  as  he 
went  away,  with  a  grace  and  majesty  unparalleled,  spoke 
sometimes,  but  very  rarely,  to  some  lady  in  passing,  entered 
the  first  cabinet,  where  he  gave  the  order,  and  then  advanced 
to  the  second  cabinet,  the  doors  from  the  first  to  the  second 
always  remaining  open.  There  he  placed  himself  in  an 
arm-chair;  Monsieur,  while  he  was  there,  in  another;  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  Madame  (but  only  after  the  death 
of  Monsieur),  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  (after  her  marriage), 
the  three  bastard  daughters,^  and  Madame  du  Maine  (when 
she  was  at  Versailles),  on  stools  on  each  side.  Monseigneur, 
the  Due  de  Bourgogne,  the  Due  de  Berry,  the  Due  d'Orleans,^ 
the  Due  du  Maine,  the  Comte  de  Toulouse,  M.  le  Due  (as 
the  husband  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse),  and  afterward  the  two 

^The  Princesse  de  Conti,  daugh-  ters   of  the   king   and   Madame   de 

ter  of  the  king  and  Mile,  de  la  Val-  Montespan. 

liere,   and    Mme.   la   Duchesse   and       *The  Due  de  Chartres,  who  took 

the  Duchesse   de   Chartres,   daugh-  the  title  at  the  death  of  his  father. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

sons  of  M.  du  Maine,  when  they  had  grown  a  little,  and 
D'Antin  came  also,  all  standing."  ^  After  spending  about 
an  hour  in  conversation  with  the  royal  family,  the  king  said 
good  night,  and  passed  into  his  bedchamber  for  the  ceremony 
of  the  coucher. 

THE  COUCHER 

While  the  king  was  still  in  the  cabinet  with  his  family,  two 
officers  of  the  Goblet  carried  into  the  bedchamber  the  col- 
lation for  the  night,  bread,  wine,  and  water.  A  valet  de 
chamhre  received  this  collation,  and  one  of  the  officers  of  the 
Goblet  made  the  trial  before  him;  later  on  the  valet  de 
chamhre  made  the  trial  himself  in  the  presence  of  the  first 
valet  de  chamhre.  Other  valets  placed  the  king's  dressing- 
gown  on  an  arm-chair,  and  the  slippers  before  it,  and  in 
front  of  a  second  chair  near  the  bed  two  cushions  on  which 
the  king  was  to  kneel  at  his  prayers,  as  in  the  morning ;  they 
prepared  the  night-lamp  as  well.  Before  the  king  came,  the 
courtiers  having  the  entrees  entered  the  chamber,  which  was 
quite  full. 

The  grand  coucher:  ^  "  On  coming  out  of  his  cabinet,  the 
king  found  at  the  door  of  the  bedchamber  the  master  of  the 
Wardrobe,  to  whom  he  gave  his  hat,  gloves,  and  cane,  and 
by  whom  they  were  handed  to  a  valet  of  the  Wardrobe.  The 
king  unfastened  his  sword-belt,  which  the  master  of  the 
Wardrobe  took  off,  handing  sword  and  belt  to  a  valet  of  the 
Wardrobe,  who  carried  them  to  the  toilet-table.  The  usher 
of  the  Chamber  advanced  before  the  king,  who  went  behind 
the  balustrade  to  his  bed,  took  holy  water,  and  knelt  on  the 
cushions  before  the  arm-chair  to  say  his  prayers.  At  the 
end,  the  almoner  on  duty,  who  held  a  lighted  candle,  re- 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  121.  grand     coucher     was     discontinued 

'  Owing  to  an  attack  of  gout  the    about   1705,   and  the  court  finished 
king   had  had   for   some  time,   the   at  the  rising  from  supper. 

176 


His  Daily  Life 

peated  in  a  low  voice  the  prayer,  Qucesumus  omnipotens  Deus, 
ut  famulus  tuus  Ludovicus  rex  noster,  etc.  The  king  took 
the  holy  water,  making  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  rose  from 
his  knees.  Then  the  first  valet  de  chamhre,  having  taken  the 
candle  from  the  almoner,  received  from  the  king  his  watch, 
and  the  small  bag  containing  the  relics,  and  continued  to 
walk  before  His  Majesty.  The  usher  made  room  for  the 
king  through  the  crowd  from  the  balustrade  to  his  chair,  and 
having  reached  it.  His  Majesty  was  asked  by  the  grand 
chamberlain,  or  by  the  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber,  to 
whom  he  wished  the  candle  to  be  given."  ^ 

As  the  bedchamber  was  well  lighted,  the  candle  was  super- 
fluous, but  it  was  one  of  those  trifles  in  which  the  king  ex- 
celled, and  the  giving  of  which  he  had  raised  to  the  rank  of  a 
fine  art.  His  Majesty  glanced  over  the  assembly,  and  named 
the  man  he  desired  to  honor.  "  It  was  an  honor,"  says  Saint- 
Simon,  "  which  he  bestowed  sometimes  upon  one,  sometimes 
upon  another,  according  to  his  whim,  but  which,  by  his 
manner  of  bestowing  it,  was  always  coveted  as  a  great  dis- 
tinction." 

"  The  king  then  removed  his  blue  ribbon ;  the  master  of 
the  Wardrobe  drew  off  his  coat  and  vest ;  and  the  king  him- 
self took  off  his  cravat.  All  these  articles  were  handed  to  the 
officers  of  the  Wardrobe.  His  Majesty  seated  himself,  and 
the  first  valet  de  chamhre  unfastened  the  diamond  buckle  of 
the  right  garter,  while  the  first  valet  of  the  Wardrobe  did  the 
same  for  the  left.  The  valets  of  the  Chamber  drew  off  the 
king's  shoes  and  knee-breeches,  and  the  pages  of  the  Cham- 
ber brought  his  slippers  and  dressing-gown."  ^ 

The  dressing-gown  was  held  up  before  the  king  to  con- 
ceal him  from  the  crowd  when  he  took  off  his  shirt  and  put 
on  his  night-dress.  The  night-dress  was  presented  by  a 
prince  of  the  blood,  or  by  the  grand  chamberlain,  with  the 

'  Etat  de  la  France  (1712).  *  Idem. 

12  177 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

same  formalities  with  which  the  shirt  had  been  presented  at 
the  lever.  Having  received  from  the  grand  chamberlain  the 
little  bag  containing  the  relics,  the  king  passed  the  cord  about 
his  neck,  and  put  on  his  dressing-gown.  Then  he  rose  and 
said  good  night  to  the  courtiers  by  a  bow.  The  ushers  of  the 
Chamber  cried  aloud,  "  Gentlemen,  pass  on!  "  ;  and  while  the 
courtiers  were  retiring,  the  king  stood  by  the  chimneypiece, 
giving  the  order  to  the  captain  of  the  guards.  Meanwhile 
the  first  valet  de  chambre  had  taken  the  candle  from  the 
nobleman  to  whom  it  had  been  given,  and  had  presented  it 
to  one  of  his  own  friends,  who  had  thus  the  privilege  of 
remaining  at  the  petit  coucher. 

The  petit  coucher:  There  were  now  in  the  king's  chamber 
the  following  persons :  those  who  had  the  grandes  entrees 
(who  had  been  present  in  the  morning  when  the  king  was 
still  in  bed)  ;  those  having  the  first  entree;  the  officers  and 
valets  of  the  Chamber  and  of  the  Wardrobe;  the  first  doctor 
and  the  surgeons;  and,  from  time  to  time,  certain  nobles  to 
whom  the  king  had  granted  the  privilege. 

"  When  the  court  had  gone  out,  the  king  sat  down  on  a 
folding-seat  which  had  been  prepared  in  front  of  the  bal- 
ustrade of  his  bed,  with  a  cushion  before  it.  The  barber 
removed  His  Majesty's  wig  and  dressed  his  hair,  and  a 
valet  de  chambre  held  a  mirror  before  the  king.  A  valet 
of  the  Wardrobe  brought  the  nightcap  and  handkerchiefs, 
and  presented  them  to  the  grand  master  of  the  Wardrobe, 
who  gave  them  to  the  king.  A  service  of  silver-gilt  was  then 
presented  by  the  princes  of  the  blood,  that  the  king  might 
wash  his  face  and  hands;  in  the  absence  of  the  princes,  the 
grand  chamberlain,  the  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber,  or 
the  grand  master  of  the  Wardrobe  could  act  for  them.  After 
washing,  the  king  named  to  the  grand  chamberlain  the  hour 
at  which  he  desired  to  be  awakened  in  the  morning,  and 

178 


His  Daily  Life 

told  the  grand  master  of  the  Wardrobe  what  dress  he  would 
wear  on  the  following  day."  * 

This  closed  the  petit  coucher,  and  the  usher  of  the  Chamber 
made  all  those  having  the  entrees  leave  the  chamber,  and 
went  out  himself  when  the  first  gentleman  had  given  the 
order  for  the  lever  on  the  morrow.  The  valets  of  the  Ward- 
robe carried  the  king's  clothing  away  to  the  rooms  of  the 
Wardrobe,  and  the  valets  of  the  Chamber  lighted  the  grand 
chamberlain  and  the  first  gentleman  through  the  antecham- 
bers. The  first  doctor  left  a  moment  later,  and  then  there 
was  nobody  with  the  king  but  the  first  valet  de  chambre  and 
the  gargons  of  the  Chamber.  The  latter  prepared  the  king's 
bed,  and  also  the  camp-bed  for  the  first  valet  de  chambre. 

The  king,  meanwhile,  went  into  his  cabinet,  where  he  re- 
mained more  or  less  time,  feeding  his  dogs  and  playing  with 
them.  The  Sieur  Antoine,  the  gun-bearer  who  had  charge 
of  the  dogs,  was  present.  Louis,  in  nightcap,  dressing-gown, 
and  slippers,  could  draw  a  long  breath,  if  he  liked,  at  last. 

When  the  king  had  gone  to  bed,  the  first  valet  de  chambre 
closed  the  bed-curtains,  while  the  gargons  put  out  all  the  lights 
and  lit  the  night-lamp;  and  after  the  gargons  had  gone  out, 
the  first  valet  de  chambre  closed  the  doors.  Then,  lighting 
his  own  candle,  the  first  valet  undressed,  and  got  into  his 
camp-bed  before  the  gilded  balustrade.  Beyond  that  bal- 
ustrade, by  the  faint  light,  there  loomed  among  the  shadows 
a  white-plumed  canopy  and  crimson  curtains.  The  Grand 
Monarch  slept. 

'Etat  de  la  France  (1712). 


179 


Ill 

HIS  METHOD  OF  WORK 

IN  1 66 1,  when  Louis  announced  his  intention  of  being  his 
own  prime  minister,  the  courtiers  were  at  first  aston- 
ished and  then  cynical.  A  young  man  of  twenty-three, 
who  had  at  hand  all  the  appliances  of  pleasure,  had  in- 
formed the  world  that  the  first  business  of  a  king  was  work. 
The  court  smiled,  and  thinking  that  six  months  or  a  year 
would  settle  the  matter,  began  to  look  about  for  a  successor  to 
Mazarin;  but  Louis  never  wavered,  and  persevered  in  his 
resolution  for  fifty-four  years. 

In  his  Memoirs,^  designed  for  the  instruction  of  Monsei- 
gneur,  and  prepared  from  his  notes  and  under  his  eyes  by 
Pellisson  in  1670,  Louis  reveals  himself.  "  It  may  happen, 
my  son,"  he  says,  "  that  you  will  begin  to  read  these  Memoirs 
at  an  age  when  one  usually  fears  rather  than  loves  work, 
being  too  glad  to  have  escaped  from  subjection  to  teachers 
and  masters,  and  to  have  no  more  fixed  hours,  no  more  long 
and  uncertain  application.  Here  I  will  only  tell  you  that  it  is 
always  by  work  that  one  reigns,  and  that  there  is  ingratitude 
to  God,  injustice  and  tyranny  to  men,  in  desiring  the  one 
without  the  other.  Those  conditions  of  royalty,  which  may 
sometimes  seem  hard  and  vexatious  to  you,  would  appear 
pleasant  and  easy  if  it  were  a  question  of  attaining  them. 

^  The    original   manuscripts    were    were  published  in  1806  by  Treuttel 
confided  by  Louis  XVI,  in  1786,  to    &  Wurtz. 
the    Comte    de     Grimoard.      They 

180 


Jean  Baptiste  Colbert 


His  Method  of  Work 


...  I  made  it  a  rule  to  work  twice  a  day,  even  after  dinner, 
at  the  despatch  of  ordinary  business,  not  failing  to  apply  my- 
self at  any  other  time  to  whatever  might  arise  unexpectedly. 
I  cannot  tell  you  how  fruitful  I  immediately  found  that  reso- 
lution. I  felt  my  mind  and  my  courage  elevated.  I  was 
quite  different.  I  discovered  in  myself  that  which  I  did  not 
know,  and  I  reproached  myself  with  joy  for  having  been  so 
long  ignorant  of  it.  The  first  sense  of  timidity  that  comes 
with  decision  caused  me  pain,  but  it  passed  off  in  less  than  no 
time.  It  seemed  to  me  then  that  I  was,  and  was  born  to  be, 
king."  And  in  revealing  the  secret  of  his  governing  power 
to  his  son,  the  king  adds :  "  I  am  aware  that  I  diminish  by 
so  much  the  only,  or  almost  the  only,  merit  I  can  hope  for 
in  the  world." 

The  king  held  his  councils,  as  he  did  everything  else,  with 
great  regularity.  At  Versailles  they  met  in  his  cabinet,  but 
when  he  took  medicine,  or  had  the  gout,  he  held  them  none 
the  less,  and  they  met  in  his  bedchamber.  Dangeau  men- 
tions as  an  extraordinary  fact,  and  quite  without  example, 
that  on  the  3d  of  November,  1692,  the  king  went  to  spend  a 
week  at  Marly,  and  gave  his  ministers  leave  of  absence  for 
that  time.  Pursuing  his  usual  policy  toward  the  nobility, 
the  king  kept  them  out  of  his  councils,  and  chose  his  minis- 
ters from  the  middle  class.  They  were  responsible  to  him 
alone.  Colbert,  the  greatest  of  them,  and  one  of  the  great- 
est ministers  France  has  ever  had,  died  in  1683,  ^^^  Louis 
never  found  his  like  again.  His  posts  were  divided  between 
Seignelai,  Louvois,  and  Pelletier. 

The  Council  of  State  was  supreme  over  all  the  departments 
of  government,  being  at  once  legislative,  executive,  and  ju- 
dicial. It  was  divided  into  subordinate  councils :  the  Coun- 
cil of  the  King,  the  Council  of  Finance,  the  Council  of 
Despatches,  the  Council  of  Parties.  Important  questions  of 
internal  or  foreign  policy  were  settled  in  the  Council  of  the 

181 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

King.  The  Council  of  Finance  directed  trade,  agriculture, 
and  public  works,  and  was  supposed  to  supervise  the  Con- 
troller-General of  Finance ;  it  did  so  during  the  reign  of  Louis 
XIV,  but  later  the  Controller-General  with  his  thirty-two 
intendants  absorbed  and  managed  the  whole  internal  admin- 
istration of  the  country,  and  this  bureaucracy  became  an  evil. 

The  Council  of  State  met  on  Sundays,  Mondays,  and 
Wednesdays ;  the  Council  of  Finance,  on  Tuesdays  and  Satur- 
days. On  Mondays  after  dinner  the  king  worked  with  Pelle- 
tier  upon  the  fortifications,  and  every  evening,  in  the  apart- 
ments of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  he  worked  with  Ponchar- 
train,  the  Minister  of  the  Navy,  or  with  Barbezieux,  the  Min- 
ister of  War.  He  wrote  his  important  letters  himself,  but 
every  letter  written  in  his  name  was  read  to  him.  As  time 
went  on,  his  power  of  work  and  his  love  of  it  increased,  and  in 
spite  of  the  trammels  of  etiquette  he  despatched  an  immense 
amount  of  business  each  week.  The  concentration  of  the 
heads  of  all  departments  at  the  palace  of  Versailles  enabled 
him  to  do  this.  *'  His  constant  residence  at  Versailles,"  says 
Saint-Simon,  "  caused  a  continual  coming  together  of  offi- 
cials and  persons  employed,  which  kept  everything  going, 
got  through  more  business  and  gave  more  access  to  min- 
isters and  their  various  bureaus  in  one  day  than  would  have 
been  possible  in  a  fortnight  had  the  court  been  in  Paris. 
The  benefit  to  his  service  of  the  king's  precision  was  incred- 
ible. It  imposed  orderliness  on  everybody,  and  secured 
despatch  and  facility  in  his  affairs." 

The  king  did  not  grant  audiences  too  easily;  he  could  not 
do  so,  or  he  would  have  been  overwhelmed  by  them.  Con- 
sidering the  size  of  the  court,  and  the  press  of  business  on  his 
hands,  it  must  be  admitted  that  access  to  him  was  not  diffi- 
cult; and,  as  has  been  mentioned,  there  were  six  times  in 
the  day  when  any  of  his  subjects  could  address  him  and 
present  petitions.     Although  these  latter  opportunities  were 

182 


His  Method  of  Work 


each  of  brief  duration, — while  he  passed  through  the  gallery 
and  state  apartments  to  and  from  chapel  in  the  morning, 
across  the  marble  courtyard  to  and  from  his  coach  in  the 
afternoon,  and  through  the  antechambers  to  and  from  the 
apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  in  the  evening, — yet 
his  life  was  so  regular,  and  he  came  and  went  with  such  un- 
varying punctuality,  that  it  was  a  simple  matter  for  a  peti- 
tioner to  calculate  by  his  watch  the  movements  of  the  king, 
and  to  take  his  position  accordingly. 

Louis  was  not  only  a  man  of  system,  but  a  man  of  detail. 
Saint-Simon  sneers  at  the  latter :  "  Naturally  fond  of  trifles, 
he  unceasingly  occupied  himself  with  the  most  petty  details 
of  his  troops,  his  household,  his  palaces,  his  table  expenses." 
Saint-Simon  considered  such  matters  beneath  a  man  of  rank, 
but  the  king  did  not  think  so ;  and  more  than  one  nobleman 
at  Versailles  might  have  followed  Louis's  example  in  this 
respect  with  profit.  To  govern  France,  to  govern  Spain,  to 
impose  his  supremacy  upon  Europe,  and  to  push  his  schemes 
of  colonization  and  empire  in  North  America,  Madagascar, 
India,  and  Siam,  demanded  of  the  king,  and  of  his  ministers, 
enormous  labor;  but,  notwithstanding  that,  it  appears  that 
the  petty  details  of  troops,  palaces,  and  kitchens  were  not 
neglected. 

In  short,  if  the  monarchical  machine  ran  well,  no  small 
part  of  the  success  was  due  to  the  fact  that  Louis  himself 
did  all  his  work  each  day  with  clock-like  regularity;  and 
to  dub  him  a  king  of  fetes  and  reviews  is  to  render  him  scant 
justice.  With  the  exception  of  Napoleon,  France  has  never 
had  a  sovereign  who  worked  harder  or  more  regularly  than 
Louis  XIV.  "  There  are  only  he  and  I,"  said  the  emperor. 
"  He  had  400,000  men  under  arms,  and  a  King  of  France 
who  could  collect  such  a  host  could  be  no  ordinary  man." 


183 


IV 

HIS  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE  AND  CHARACTER 

IT  is  easier  to  criticize  Louis  XIV  than  to  understand 
him.  He  raised  the  French  monarchy  to  its  zenith, 
and  the  collapse  of  that  monarchy  seventy-four  years 
after  his  death  was,  and  still  is,  a  severe  blow  to  his 
reputation.  He  will  never  be  a  popular  hero;  but  because 
his  ideals  and  theories  no  longer  move  the  world,  it  would 
be  as  absurd  to  suppose  that  he  was  not  in  his  day  in  touch 
with  the  spirit  of  his  age  as  to  fancy  that  the  powerful  im- 
pression he  made  on  his  contemporaries  was  due  solely  to 
his  rank  and  position.  Neither  his  predecessor  nor  his  suc- 
cessor enjoyed  anything  like  it.  Let  us  consider  him  under 
three  aspects — as  a  man,  as  a  monarch,  as  an  idealist;  in 
other  words,  as  Louis  de  Bourbon,  as  the  King  of  France  and 
Navarre,  and  as  the  Sun  King. 

LOUIS  DE  BOURBON 

That  the  eldest  son  of  Louis  XIII  and  Anne  of  Austria  was 
physically  fit  for  the  post  he  filled  is  without  question.  The 
evidence  on  that  point  is  overwhelming.  "  The  stature  of  a 
hero,"  says  Saint-Simon,  his  bitterest  antagonist,  and  the  last 
man  in  the  world  to  be  accused  of  flattery  in  this  connection, 
"  his  whole  figure  so  naturally  endowed  with  majesty  that 
it  was  equally  evident  in  the  slightest  gestures  and  the  most 
ordinary  actions,  without  any  air  of  pride,  but  simple  gravity ; 

184 


Louis  Xi\ 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

so  admirably  well  made  and  proportioned  that  sculptors 
might  have  sought  him  for  their  model ;  a  perfect  face,  with 
the  finest  countenance  and  the  grandest  air  that  ever  man 
had.  All  these  advantages  were  enhanced  by  the  most 
natural  grace,  and,  what  has  been  given  to  no  other,  he  wore 
this  air  of  grandeur  and  majesty  in  his  dressing-gown,  to  the 
point  of  one's  being  unable  to  bear  his  glance,  just  the  same 
as  in  the  attire  of  fetes  or  ceremonies,  or  on  horseback  at  the 
head  of  his  troops.  He  excelled  in  all  bodily  exercises,  and 
he  liked  to  see  them  well  done.  Neither  fatigue  nor  in- 
clemency of  weather  told  on  him,  or  made  any  impression 
on  that  heroic  face ;  showing  through  rain,  snow,  cold,  sweat, 
or  covered  with  dust,  it  was  always  the  same.  I  have  fre- 
quently witnessed  this  with  admiration,  for,  unless  it  were 
weather  of  extreme  and  rare  severity,  nothing  kept  him  from 
going  out  each  day  and  staying  out  a  long  time.  A  voice 
whose  tones  answered  to  all  the  rest,  a  facility  of  speaking 
well  and  listening  courteously,  and,  better  than  any  other, 
much  reserve,  politeness  always  grave,  always  majestic,  al- 
ways discriminating  according  to  age,  rank,  sex,  and  for 
women  ever  that  natural  gallantry.  So  much  for  the  ex- 
terior, which  never  had  its  like,  or  anything  approaching  it." 

The  Palatine,  without  having  Saint-Simon's  genius  for 
portraiture,  is  in  accord :  "  It  cannot  be  denied  that  Louis 
XIV  was  the  finest  man  in  his  kingdom.  No  person  had  a 
better  appearance  than  he.  His  figure  was  agreeable,  his  legs 
well  made,  his  feet  small,  his  voice  pleasant;  he  was  lusty 
in  proportion ;  and,  in  short,  no  fault  could  be  found  with  his 
person," 

Spanheim,  the  ambassador  from  Brandenburg,  saw  the 
king  in  1690,  and  wrote  of  him :  "  The  attractions  of  his  per- 
son are  his  figure,  his  carriage,  air,  and  fine  bearing,  an  ex- 
terior full  of  grandeur  and  majesty,  and  a  bodily  constitution 
fit  to  sustain  the  fatigues  and  the  burden  of  so  great  a  post, 

185 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

to  which  may  be  added  that  he  most  happily  mingles  great- 
ness and  familiarity  in  his  private  conversations,  and  bears 
himself  in  them  without  either  haughtiness  or  over-con- 
descension." 

Louis,  therefore,  had  great  personal  charm;  it  was  of 
untold  advantage  to  him,  and  he  retained  it  until  a  few 
months  before  his  death.  "  In  the  midst  of  all  other  men  his 
stature,  his  carriage,  his  beauty,  and  the  grand  mien  which 
survived  that  beauty,  even  to  the  tones  of  his  voice,  and 
the  alertness  and  naturally  majestic  grace  of  all  his  person, 
caused  him  to  be  distinguished  to  the  day  of  his  death  as  the 
King  Bee.  It  may  also  be  said  that,  had  he  been  born  only  a 
private  gentleman,  he  would  equally  have  possessed  the  secret 
of  fetes  and  pleasure,  of  gallantry  and  fascination,"  ^  Amid 
so  many  perfections  there  seems  to  have  been  but  one  flaw, 
mentioned  by  the  Palatine,  and  which  probably  appeared  late 
in  life :  "  The  king  was  in  the  habit  of  keeping  his  mouth 
open  in  an  awkward  way."  ^ 

He  loved  fresh  air  and  exercise,  hunting  and  shooting, 
horses  and  dogs,  and  had  all  manly  tastes  and  habits.  He 
danced  well,  played  tennis  and  mall  well,  drove  himself  bet- 
ter than  the  best  coachmen,  and  was  a  splendid  horseman  all 
his  life.  Stag-hunting  and  shooting  were  his  favorite  forms 
of  the  chase.  An  Englishman  named  Hammer  found  him 
an  expert  fencer. 

His  dress,  so  magnificent  during  his  love-making  days, 
became  much  simpler  later  in  life,  but  at  no  time  was  there 
anything  of  the  fop  about  him.  "  He  was  always  clad  in 
dresses  more  or  less  brown,  lightly  embroidered,  but  never 
at  the  edges,  sometimes  with  nothing  but  a  gold  button, 
sometimes  black  velvet.  He  had  always  a  vest  of  cloth,  or 
of  red,  blue,  or  green  satin,  much  embroidered.     He  wore  no 

^  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  357. 
*  Memoirs  of  Elizabeth-Charlotte,  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  p.  67. 

186 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

ring,  and  no  jewels,  except  in  the  buckles  of  his  shoes,  gar- 
ters, and  hat,  the  latter  always  trimmed  with  Spanish  point, 
with  a  white  feather.  He  had  always  the  cordon  bleu  over 
his  coat,  except  at  fetes,  when  he  wore  it  under  his  coat, 
with  precious  stones,  worth  eight  or  ten  million  livres,  at- 
tached." ^  But  whether  his  attire  was  simple  or  superb, 
whether  he  wore  a  coat  of  brown  velvet  lightly  embroidered, 
or  a  coat  of  cloth  of  gold  trimmed  with  diamonds,  Louis 
himself  was  always  superior  to  his  apparel.  He  was  never 
a  bedecked  and  bejeweled  clothes-horse  like  his  brother, 
Monsieur. 

As  a  man,  then,  Louis  was  well  built,  handsome,  and 
vigorous,  physically  fit  for  the  post  he  held.  However,  he 
might  have  been  all  that,  and  a  monarch  to  boot,  and  yet 
have  failed  to  produce  the  impression  that  his  presence  un- 
doubtedly did  produce,  when,  of  a  morning,  as  the  hour 
struck  for  mass,  the  usher  of  the  Cabinet,  opening  the  glass 
doors,  announced  to  the  glittering  world  that  filled  the  gal- 
lery, "  Gentlemen,  the  king !  " 

THE  KING  OF  FRANCE  AND  NAVARRE 

As  king,  therefore  let  us  now  consider  him;  and  at  the  out- 
set it  may  be  said  that  it  is  only  as  king  that  one  can  rightly 
consider  him  at  all.  Before  he  reached  manhood,  before  he 
reached  youth,  while  he  was  still  a  child  of  five  years,  he 
was  king.  Let  him  ransack  his  memory  as  he  would,  he  could 
have  found  there  little  that  antedated  his  father's  death  and 
his  own  accession  to  the  throne.  From  the  beginning,  he 
was  king.  As  for  private  life,  he  had  none.  He  fancied  that 
he  had,  however.  He  built  Marly  for  that  purpose.  At  Ver- 
sailles he  was  surrounded  by  three  or  four  thousand  courtiers  ; 
at  Marly,  by  five  or  six  hundred :  at  Versailles  all  the  nobles 

'  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  28. 
187 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

stood  in  his  presence;  at  Marly  a  limited  number  could  sit 
down :  at  Versailles  he  alone  was  covered  at  the  promenade ; 
at  Marly,  on  quitting  the  chateau,  he  said  aloud  to  those  who 
followed  him,  "  Your  hats,  gentlemen !  "  That  was  his  idea 
of  private  life;  and  to  attain  it  it  was  necessary  to  construct 
a  palace  and  gardens  costing  more  than  twelve  millions. 
His  lever  and  coucher  were  not  less  ceremonious  at  Marly 
than  at  Versailles;  he  dined  and  supped  an  grand  convert. 
When  he  passed  a  quiet  hour  with  his  family,  he  alone  had 
an  arm-chair ;  his  daughters  sat  on  stools,  and  his  sons  stood. 
At  all  hours,  and  in  all  places,  he  was  king,  and  had  been  so 
from  his  earliest  recollection.  Therefore,  except  in  the  mat- 
ter of  physique,  it  is  not  easy  to  separate  the  man  from  the 
monarch. 

But  if  he  could  recall  with  difficulty  a  period  when  he  was 
not  king,  he  could  distinctly  remember  those  bitter  years  of 
his  minority,  when  Mazarin  ruled  and  amassed  riches ;  when 
the  French  nobility  reared  and  pranced  and  kicked  over  the 
traces ;  when  civil  war  raged ;  when  the  Grande  Mademoiselle 
turned  the  cannon  of  the  Bastille  against  the  royal  troops; 
and  when  he,  the  king,  abandoned  and  neglected,  was  fished 
out  of  a  basin  in  the  garden  of  the  Palais  Royal,  and  was 
bundled  by  night  out  of  Paris  to  sleep  on  straw  at  St.  Ger- 
main. In  those  hard  years  he  had  torn  sheets  on  his  bed, 
and  hardly  a  whole  coat  on  his  back,  but  he  learned  valuable 
lessons,  lessons  which  were  of  much  more  service  to  him  than 
the  smattering  of  Latin  he  got  from  La  Porte.  At  twenty- 
three  he  took  the  reins  in  his  own  hands,  resolved  to  rule  as 
well  as  reign,  resolved  to  make  himself  great  and  glorious, 
resolved  to  raise  France  to  a  proud  preeminence,  resolved 
to  be  obeyed.  It  does  not  come  within  the  limits  of  this  book 
lo  discuss  his  foreign  and  colonial  policy,  or  his  wars  and 
conquests.  Let  us  consider  now  how  he  fashioned  himself 
for  kingship. 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

Nature  and  fortune  had  joined  hands  to  aid  him  in  his 
work.  Nature  had  favored  his  person;  fortune  had  placed 
him  on  the  French  throne  at  a  time  when  men  hoped  for  all 
things  from  monarchy,  and  when  they  believed  in  the  divine 
right  of  kings.  If  that  belief  had  not  been  in  the  hearts 
of  both  subjects  and  sovereign,  Louis  could  never  have  be- 
come the  king  he  was.  He  took  himself  in  hand;  he  cal- 
culated everything;  he  left  nothing  to  chance;  he  kept  his 
kingship  as  close  to  him  as  his  skin;  until  at  last,  through 
practice,  he  played  his  role  to  perfection,  without  apparent 
effort.  He  became  the  great  exemplar  of  majesty.  "  Even 
to  his  slightest  gesture,  his  walk,  his  deportment,  his  coun- 
tenance, all  was  circumspect,  becoming,  noble,  grand,  majes- 
tic, imposing,  and  yet  quite  natural."  ^  Desiring  to  secure 
for  France  supremacy  in  arms,  he  wished  not  less  to  secure 
for  her  supremacy  in  manners.  To  be  the  exemplar  of  maj- 
esty was  not  enough.  He  became  the  type  of  courtesy ;  and 
the  politeness  he  demanded  from  others,  he  himself  displayed. 
"  Never  was  man  so  naturally  polite,  or  of  a  politeness 
so  measured,  so  graduated,  so  adapted  to  person,  time,  and 
place.  Toward  women  his  politeness  was  without  parallel. 
For  ladies  he  took  his  hat  off  completely,  but  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent;  for  titled  people,  half  off,  holding  it  in  his  hand 
or  against  his  ear  some  instants,  more  or  less  marked.  For 
the  nobility  he  contented  himself  by  putting  his  hand  to  his 
hat.  He  took  it  off  for  the  princes  of  the  blood,  as  for  the 
ladies.  If  he  accosted  ladies,  he  did  not  cover  himself  until 
he  had  quitted  them.  Never  did  he  pass  the  humblest  peasant 
woman  without  raising  his  hat;  even  to  chambermaids,  that 
he  knew  to  be  such,  as  often  happened  at  Marly.  All  this  was 
out  of  doors,  for  in  the  house  he  was  never  covered.  His 
reverences,  more  or  less  marked,  but  always  light,  were  in- 
comparable for  their  grace  and  manner."  ^ 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  367.  *Idem, 

189 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

But  imposing  as  he  was  in  daily  life,  he  had  within  him, 
and  this  renders  him  unique,  a  reserve  fund  of  majesty.  On 
occasions  of  ceremony  he  drew  on  that  fund,  and  intensified 
his  grand  air.  Just  what  that  air  of  grandeur  was  it  is  im- 
possible to  say ;  but  all  the  evidence  of  contemporaries  makes 
it  clear  that  it  was  something  real  and  powerful,  that  it  was 
natural,  that  it  was  not  pomposity.  No  artist  has  been  able 
to  reproduce  it  in  the  portraits  of  the  king.  Louis  alone  had 
the  secret,  and  carried  it  with  him  to  the  grave.  Whatever 
it  was,  behind  it  lay  the  real  force  of  the  man,  his  faith  in 
himself,  and  his  firm  belief  in  his  divine  right.  "  In  serious 
things,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  such  as  ambassadors'  audiences, 
no  man  ever  impressed  me  so  deeply,  and  one  had  to  begin 
by  accustoming  oneself  to  see  him  if  one  would  not  run  the 
risk  of  stopping  short  in  addressing  him.  His  answers  on 
these  occasions  were  always  brief,  exact,  full,  and  very  rarely 
without  something  pleasing,  sometimes  even  flattering,  when 
the  address  deserved  it.  The  respect  also  which  his  presence 
inspired,  wherever  he  might  be,  imposed  silence  and  even 
a  sort  of  fear."  Though  he  proved  on  more  than  one  occa- 
sion that  he  was  not  afraid  of  Louis,  Saint-Simon  speaks  re- 
peatedly of  "  that  terrifying  majesty  so  natural  to  the  king." 
There  have  been  many  kings  in  France,  but  there  has  been 
only  one  whose  majesty  was  proclaimed  a  terror  by  his 
enemy. 

Louis  possessed,  then,  in  a  supreme  degree  the  virtues  of 
courtesy,  majesty,  and  grace.  But  to  become  the  Grand 
Monarch  it  was  not  sufficient  that  he  should  cultivate  certain 
traits  of  character;  he  must  repress  other  traits.  He  bridled 
his  tongue.  He  never  took  advantage  of  his  position  to  in- 
dulge at  the  expense  of  others  in  cutting  or  ironical  remarks, 
so  terrible  from  the  lips  of  a  man  whom  none  can  answer. 
If  he  could  not  say  anything  pleasant  or  flattering,  he  said 
nothing.     "  Never  did  disobliging  words  escape  him ;  and  if 

190 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

he  had  to  blame,  to  reprimand  or  correct,  which  was  very 
rare,  it  was  nearly  always  with  goodness,  never,  except  on 
one  occasion  (the  admonition  of  Courtenvaux),  with  anger 
or  severity.  Never  did  man  give  with  better  grace  than  Louis 
XIV,  or  augment  so  much,  in  this  way,  the  price  of  his  bene- 
fits. Never  did  man  sell  to  better  profit  his  words,  even  his 
smiles,  nay,  his  looks."  ^ 

He  had  wit  and  a  sense  of  humor,  but  he  found  it  nec- 
essary to  repress  them.  "  When  the  king  pleased,"  says  the 
Palatine,  "  he  could  be  one  of  the  most  agreeable  and  ami- 
able men  in  the  world;  but  it  was  first  necessary  that  he 
should  be  intimately  acquainted  with  persons.  He  used  to 
joke  in  a  very  comical  and  amusing  manner."  However,  the 
Palatine  was  a  privileged  person ;  for  example :  "  To  amuse 
the  king,  I  sometimes  said  whatever  came  into  my  head, 
without  the  least  ceremony,  and  often  made  him  laugh 
heartily."  ^  Very  few  people  were  on  any  such  footing.  If 
the  king  joked  in  an  amusing  manner  with  the  Palatine,  he 
probably  did  so  with  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and  with 
Monsieur,  but  never  with  his  courtiers.  His  sense  of  humor, 
however,  got  the  better  of  him  occasionally.  Saint-Simon 
relates  an  instance  of  this :  "  Heudicourt  the  younger  had 
made  a  song  upon  the  grand  provost  and  his  family.  It  was 
so  simple,  so  true  to  nature,  withal  so  pleasant,  that  some  one 
having  whispered  it  in  the  ear  of  the  Marechal  de  Boufflers 
at  chapel,  he  could  not  refrain  from  bursting  into  laughter, 
although  he  was  in  attendance  at  the  mass  of  the  king.  The 
marechal  was  the  gravest  and  most  serious  man  in  all  France, 
and  the  greatest  slave  to  decorum.  The  king  turned  round, 
therefore,  in  surprise,  which  was  considerably  augmented 
when  he  saw  the  Marechal  de  Boufflers  nigh  to  bursting  with 
laughter,  and  the  tears  running  down  his  cheeks.     On  re- 

^  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  367. 
'Memoirs  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  p.  53. 

191 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

turning  to  his  cabinet,  he  called  the  marechal,  and  asked 
what  had  put  him  in  that  state  at  the  mass.  The  marechal 
repeated  the  song  to  the  king.  Thereupon  the  king  burst 
out  laughing  louder  than  the  marechal,  and  for  a  whole  fort- 
night afterward  could  not  help  smiling  whenever  he  saw  the 
grand  provost  or  any  of  his  family."  Heudicourt's  song  must 
have  been  very  witty. 

No  man  had  his  nerves  under  better  control  than  Louis, 
and  nothing  was  more  rare  than  for  him  to  lose  his  temper. 
Saint-Simon  mentions  but  three  occasions  when  he  did  so. 
Here  is  the  first :  "  It  happened  that  Louvois,  not  content  with 
the  terrible  executions  in  the  Palatinate,  which  he  had  coun- 
seled, wished  to  burn  Treves.  He  proposed  it  to  the  king. 
A  dispute  arose  between  them,  but  the  king  would  not  be 
persuaded.  Some  days  afterward  Louvois,  who  had  the  fault 
of  obstinacy,  came  as  usual  to  work  with  the  king  in  Ma- 
dame de  Maintenon's  apartments.  At  the  end  of  the  sitting, 
he  said  that  he  felt  convinced  that  it  was  scrupulousness  alone 
which  had  hindered  the  king  from  consenting  to  so  necessary 
an  act  as  the  burning  of  Treves,  and  that  he  had,  therefore, 
taken  the  responsibility  on  himself  by  sending  a  courier  with 
orders  to  set  fire  to  the  place  at  once.  The  king  was  im- 
mediately, and  contrary  to  his  nature,  so  transported  with 
anger  that  he  seized  the  tongs,  and  was  about  to  make  a  run 
at  Louvois,  when  Madame  de  Maintenon  placed  herself  be- 
tween them,  crying,  '  Oh,  Sire,  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  ' 
and  took  the  tongs  from  his  hands.  Louvois,  meanwhile, 
gained  the  door.  The  king  cried  after  him  to  recall  him, 
and  said,  with  flashing  eyes,  '  Despatch  a  courier  instantly 
with  a  counter-order,  and  let  him  arrive  in  time;  for,  know 
this :  if  a  single  house  is  burned,  your  head  shall  answer 
for  it ! '  Louvois,  more  dead  than  alive,  hastened  away  at 
once.  Of  course  he  had  sent  off  no  courier.  He  said  he  had, 
believing  that  by  this  trick  the  king,  though  he  might  be 

192 


is 

V       '  *•■  "^^  ■ 

1                 ^;                       .?    ^    ♦  **   *    t- 

^r      «f»      ({K 

k        ^^     ^      ^       ' 

—                 ^^^ 

^  wv  *i^          -A 

X 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

angry,  would  be  led  to  give  way.  He  had  reckoned  wrongly, 
however,  as  we  have  seen."  In  this  case  certainly  the  king's 
wrath  was  justified,  for  the  minister's  conduct  was  without 
excuse. 

On  the  second  occasion,  Louis's  pride  was  cut  to  the  quick 
by  the  disgraceful  exhibition  of  cowardice  shown  by  his  fa- 
vorite son,  the  Due  du  Maine,  when  with  the  army.  "  He  felt 
deeply  for  that  dear  son  whose  troops  had  become  the  laugh- 
ing-stock of  the  army;  he  felt  the  railleries  that,  as  the  ga- 
zettes showed  him,  foreigners  were  heaping  upon  his  forces ; 
and  his  vexation  was  inconceivable.  The  king,  so  equal  in 
his  manners,  so  thoroughly  master  of  his  lightest  movements, 
even  upon  the  gravest  occasions,  succumbed  under  this  event. 
On  rising  from  the  table  at  Marly  he  saw  a  servant  who, 
while  taking  away  the  dessert,  helped  himself  to  a  biscuit, 
which  he  put  in  his  pocket.  On  the  instant,  the  king  for- 
got his  dignity,  and  cane  in  hand  ran  to  this  valet  (who 
little  suspected  what  was  in  store  for  him),  struck  him, 
abused  him,  and  broke  the  cane  upon  his  body.  The  truth  is, 
it  was  only  a  reed,  and  snapped  easily.  However,  with  the 
stump  in  his  hand,  the  king  walked  away  like  a  man  quite 
beside  himself,  continuing  to  abuse  this  valet,  and  entered 
Madame  de  Maintenon's  apartment,  where  he  remained 
nearly  an  hour.  Upon  coming  out  he  met  Pere  La  Chaise. 
*  My  father,'  said  the  king  to  him,  in  a  very  loud  voice,  *  I 
have  beaten  a  knave  and  broken  my  cane  over  his  shoulders, 
but  I  do  not  think  I  have  offended  God.'  Everybody  around 
trembled  at  this  public  confession,  and  the  poor  priest  mut- 
tered a  semblance  of  approval  between  his  teeth,  to  avoid 
irritating  the  king  more.  The  noise  that  the  affair  made  and 
the  terror  it  inspired  may  be  imagined ;  for  some  time  nobody 
could  divine  the  cause,  although  everybody  easily  understood 
that  that  which  had  appeared  could  not  be  the  real  one." 
This  is  the  second  instance  of  loss  of  temper  mentioned  by 

''  193 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Saint-Simon.  The  Palatine,  without  referring  to  this  case, 
speaks  of  two  other  occasions  on  which  the  king  struck 
valets :  "  I  never  saw  the  king  beat  but  two  men,  and  they 
both  well  deserved  it.  The  first  was  a  valet,  who  would  not 
let  him  enter  the  garden  during  one  of  his  own  fetes.  The 
other  was  a  pickpocket,  whom  the  king  saw  emptying  the 
pocket  of  M.  de  Villars.  Louis  XIV,  who  was  on  horse- 
back, rode  toward  the  thief  and  struck  him  with  his  cane ;  the 
rascal  cried  out,  '  Murder !  I  shall  be  killed ! '  which  made  us 
all  laugh,  and  the  king  laughed  also.  He  had  the  thief  taken, 
and  made  him  give  up  the  purse,  but  he  did  not  have  him 
hanged." 

The  third  case  given  by  Saint-Simon,  the  admonition  of 
Courtenvaux,  is  as  follows :  "  Courtenvaux,  eldest  son  of  M. 
de  Louvois,  was  commander  of  the  Cent-Suisses ;  fond  of 
obscure  debauches;  with  a  ridiculous  voice,  miserly,  quarrel- 
some, though  modest  and  respectful ;  and,  in  fine,  a  very  stu- 
pid fellow.  The  king,  more  eager  to  know  all  that  was  pass- 
ing than  most  people  believed,  although  they  gave  him  credit 
for  not  a  little  curiosity  in  this  respect,  had  authorized  Bon- 
temps  to  engage  a  number  of  Swiss  in  addition  to  those  posted 
at  the  doors  and  in  the  parks  and  gardens.  These  attendants 
had  orders  to  stroll  morning,  noon,  and  night,  along  the  cor- 
ridors, the  passages,  the  staircases,  even  into  the  private 
places,  and,  when  it  was  fine,  in  the  courtyards  and  gardens ; 
and  in  secret  to  watch  people,  to  follow  them,  to  notice  where 
they  went,  to  notice  who  was  there,  to  listen  to  all  conversa- 
tions they  could  hear,  and  to  make  reports  of  their  discoveries. 
This  was  done  at  Versailles,  at  Marly,  at  Trianon,  at  Fon- 
tainebleau,  and  in  all  places  where  the  king  was.  These  new 
attendants  vexed  Courtenvaux  considerably,  for  over  such 
newcomers  he  had  no  sort  of  authority.  One  season  at  Fon- 
tainebleau,  a  room,  which  had  formerly  been  occupied  by  a 
party  of  the  Cent-Suisses,  was  given  up  entirely  to  the  new 

194 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

corps.  The  room  was  in  a  public  passage  of  communication 
to  all  in  the  chateau,  and,  in  consequence,  excellently  well 
adapted  for  watching  those  who  passed  through  it.  Courten- 
vaux,  more  than  ever  vexed  by  this  new  arrangement,  re- 
garded it  as  a  fresh  encroachment  upon  his  authority,  flew 
into  a  violent  rage  with  the  newcomers,  and  railed  at  them 
in  good  set  terms.  They  allowed  him  to  fume  as  he  would; 
they  had  their  orders,  and  were  too  wise  to  be  disturbed  by 
his  rage.  The  king,  who  heard  of  all  this,  sent  at  once  for 
Courtenvaux.  As  soon  as  he  appeared  in  the  cabinet,  the 
king,  without  giving  him  time  to  approach,  called  to  him  from 
the  other  end  of  the  room,  in  a  rage  so  terrible,  and  for  him 
so  novel,  that  not  only  Courtenvaux,  but  the  princes  and 
princesses  and  everybody  in  the  cabinet,  trembled.  Menaces 
that  his  post  should  be  taken  away  from  him,  terms  the  most 
severe  and  the  most  unusual,  rained  upon  Courtenvaux,  who, 
fainting  with  fright  and  ready  to  sink  under  the  ground, 
had  neither  the  time  nor  the  means  to  prefer  a  word.  The 
reprimand  finished  by  the  king's  saying,  '  Get  out ! '  He  had 
scarcely  the  strength  to  obey.  The  cause  of  this  strange  scene 
was  that  Courtenvaux,  by  the  fuss  he  had  made,  had  drawn 
the  attention  of  the  whole  court  to  the  change  effected  by 
the  king,  and  that,  when  once  seen,  its  object  was  clear  to 
all  eyes.  The  king,  who  hid  his  spy  system  with  the  great- 
est care,  had  counted  upon  this  change  passing  unperceived, 
and  was  beside  himself  with  anger  when  he  found  it  made 
apparent  to  everybody  by  Courtenvaux's  noise.  He  never 
regained  the  king's  favor  during  the  rest  of  his  life;  and 
but  for  his  family  he  would  certainly  have  been  driven  away 
and  his  office  taken  from  him."  The  spy  system  was  un- 
doubtedly useful  to  the  king,  but  unworthy  of  him.  It  was 
mean  and  petty.  He  must  have  felt  it  to  be  so,  and  was 
incensed  and  mortified  to  have  it  brought  to  light.  But  these 
cases  of  loss  of  temper  are,  after  all,  small  things  in  contrast 

195 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

to  Louis's  daily  courtesy,  majesty,  and  tact,  exercised  on 
countless  occasions  through  so  many  years ;  and  in  each  case, 
when  his  wrath  had  cooled,  the  king  was  not  revengeful. 
Louvois  was  not  dismissed  or  imprisoned,  Courtenvaux  was 
spared  on  account  of  his  family,  the  valets  were  not  dis- 
charged, the  pickpocket  was  not  hanged.  If  the  Grand  Mon- 
arch had  had  no  worse  faults  than  these  flashes  of  temper, 
he  would  have  been  what  some  of  his  flatterers  were  pleased 
to  dub  him,  "  the  marvel  of  his  age." 

Examples  of  the  king's  control  of  temper,  his  tact  and 
courtesy,  abound.  Saint-Simon's  story  of  Lauzun's  quarrel 
with  Louis  is  perhaps  the  best  known.  How  the  king  had 
promised  Lauzun  the  post  of  grand  master  of  artillery ;  how 
Louvois  and  Madame  de  Montespan  used  their  influence  to 
prevent  this  favor;  and  how  the  hot-headed  and  audacious 
Gascon  demanded  an  audience  with  Louis,  turned  his  back 
on  the  monarch,  snapped  the  blade  of  his  sword,  and  cried 
out  that  he  would  never  again  serve  a  king  who  had  so 
shamefully  broken  his  word,  while  Louis,  though  transported 
with  anger,  said  he  should  be  sorry  to  strike  a  man  of  quality, 
tossed  his  cane  out  of  the  window,  and  left  the  room, — all 
that,  Saint-Simon  has  told  in  his  own  matchless  way.  But 
the  Grand  Monarch  would  probably  have  been  much  sur- 
prised, had  he  been  able  to  read  the  account  of  this  episode, 
to  find  that  in  M.  de  Saint-Simon's  opinion  he  had  performed 
"  the  finest  action  of  his  life."  It  was  a  good  example  of 
control  of  temper,  nothing  more,  and  the  fact  that  it  became 
in  Saint-Simon's  eyes  "  the  finest  action  "  was  because  Lau- 
zun was  a  duke,  and  Saint-Simon  was  a  duke,  and  the  latter 
was  rabid  on  the  subject  of  ducal  rank. 

Though  Louis  would  not  overlook  criticism  on  his  methods 
of  government,  he  was  more  amenable  in  other  matters.  For 
example,  there  was  Villiers,  a  follower  of  the  Due  de  Ven- 
dome.     He  condemned  the  king's  taste  in  music,  painting, 

196 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

architecture,  and  gardens.  If  the  king  planted  a  grove,  put 
up  a  fountain,  furnished  an  apartment,  Villiers  pronounced 
it  all  wrong  and  expressed  himself  loudly.  "  It  is  strange," 
said  Louis,  "  that  Villiers  has  chosen  my  palace  to  come  to 
in  order  to  find  fault  with  all  I  do."  Meeting  him  one  day 
in  the  gardens  of  Versailles,  the  king  pointed  out  one  of  his 
recent  improvements,  saying,  "  This,  then,  has  not  the  good 
fortune  to  please  you?"  "No,"  replied  Villiers.  "And 
yet,"  said  the  king,  "  there  are  many  people  who  are  not  so 
discontented  with  it."  "  That  may  be,"  replied  Villiers. 
"  Each  to  his  own  mind."  "One  cannot  please  everybody," 
answered  the  king,  laughing.  On  a  par  with  this  is  that  an- 
swer made  by  Louis  to  Despreaux,  who  had  condemned  some 
verses  which  His  Majesty  had  approved.  "  Tell  the  king," 
cried  Despreaux,  publicly,  "  that  I  am  a  better  judge  of  verse 
than  he."  "  He  is  right,"  said  Louis.  "  He  is  a  better  judge 
than  I."  But  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  neither  the  criti- 
cisms of  Villiers,  nor  of  Despreaux,  concerned  the  king's 
government  or  affected  his  power;  had  they  done  that  he 
would  not  have  endured  them. 

"  If  the  king  heard  that  any  one  had  spoken  ill  of  him," 
says  the  Palatine,  "  he  displayed  a  proud  resentment  toward 
the  offender;  otherwise  it  was  impossible  to  be  more  polite 
and  affable  than  he  was.  His  conversation  was  pleasing  in 
a  high  degree.  He  had  the  skill  of  giving  an  agreeable  turn 
to  everything.  His  manner  of  talking  was  natural,  without 
the  least  affectation,  amiable  and  obliging."  ^  This  charm 
of  manner,  joined  to  so  much  majesty  and  grace,  called  forth 
the  encomiums  of  the  courtiers,  and  not  all  of  their  praises 
were  flattery.  Louis  was  fond  of  flattery,  too  fond,  though 
he  was  not  as  greedy  of  it  as  he  is  commonly  supposed  to 
have  been,  and  at  times  he  was  ready  to  ridicule  it ;  but  in  this 
connection  it  should  never  be  forgotten  that  the  king  con- 
^  Memoirs  of  Elizabeth-Charlotte,  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  p.  46. 
197 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

tinually  said  complimentary  or  flattering  things  to  others, 
and  they  were  naturally  quick  to  pay  him  back  in  his  own 
coin.  He  had,  too,  in  a  high  degree  the  great  gift  of  tact. 
"  He  understood  perfectly  the  art  of  satisfying  people  even 
while  he  reproved  their  requests.  His  manners  were  most 
affable,  and  he  spoke  with  so  much  politeness  as  to  win  all 
hearts."  ^  In  the  Memoirs  of  Madame  de  Montespan  there 
is  an  instance  of  Louis's  tact  at  the  reception  of  the  Doge 
of  Genoa :  "  When  the  Doge  had  asked  for  pardon,  as  he 
had  submitted  to  do,  two  of  his  senators  fell  to  weeping. 
The  king,  who  noticed  the  general  emotion,  descended  from 
his  throne  and  spoke  for  some  minutes  with  the  five  person- 
ages, smiling  on  them  with  his  most  seductive  grace,  and  once 
more  drew  all  hearts  to  himself."  ^  Under  the  circumstances 
this  was  sufficiently  striking,  but  unfortunately  there  is  no 
mention  of  it  in  the  official  account  of  the  ceremony,  and  the 
genuineness  of  the  Memoirs  of  Madame  de  Montespan  has 
been  questioned.  But  another  example,  about  the  authen- 
ticity of  which  there  is  no  doubt,  is  given  by  the  Pala- 
tine :  "  Upon  my  arrival  at  St.  Germain  I  felt  as  if  I  had 
fallen  from  the  clouds.  I  saw  very  well  that  I  did  not  please 
my  husband  much,  and  indeed  that  could  not  be  wondered  at, 
considering  my  ugliness ;  however,  I  resolved  to  conduct  my- 
self in  such  a  manner  toward  Monsieur  that  he  should  become 
accustomed  to  me  by  my  attentions,  and  eventually  should 
be  able  to  endure  me.  Immediately  upon  my  arrival,  the 
king  came  to  see  me  at  the  Chateau  Neuf,  where  Monsieur 
and  I  lived ;  he  brought  with  him  the  dauphin,  who  was  then 
a  child  of  about  ten  years  old.  As  soon  as  I  had  finished  my 
toilet  the  king  returned  to  the  Old  Chateau,  where  he  received 
me  in  the  Guards'  hall,  and  led  me  to  the  queen,  whispering 
at  the  same  time,  '  Do  not  be  frightened,  madame ;  she  will 

^  Memoirs  of  Elizabeth-Charlotte,  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  p.  68. 
*  Memoirs  of  Madame  de  Montespan,  II,  p.  308. 

198 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

be  more  afraid  of  you  than  you  of  her.'  The  king  felt  so 
much  the  embarrassment  of  my  situation  that  he  would  not 
quit  me;  he  sat  by  my  side,  and  whenever  it  was  necessary 
for  me  to  rise,  that  is  to  say,  whenever  a  prince  or  a  duke 
entered  the  apartment,  he  gave  me  a  gentle  push  in  the  side 
without  being  perceived."  On  one  occasion  at  least  Louis 
used  his  tact  to  replenish  his  treasury.  "  It  was  on  the  7th 
of  May,  1708,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  and  at  Marly.  The  king, 
walking  round  the  gardens,  showing  them  to  Bergheyck,  and 
talking  with  him  upon  the  approaching  campaign  in  Flan- 
ders, stopped  before  one  of  the  pavilions.  It  was  that  occu- 
pied by  Desmarets,  who  had  recently  succeeded  Chamillart 
in  the  direction  of  the  finances,  and  who  was  at  work  within 
with  Samuel  Bernard,  the  famous  banker,  the  richest  man  in 
Europe,  and  whose  money  dealings  were  the  largest.  The  king 
observed  to  Desmarets  that  he  was  very  glad  to  see  him  with 
M.  Bernard,  and  then  immediately  said  to  the  latter :  '  You 
are  just  the  man  never  to  have  seen  Marly — come  and  see 
it  now ;  I  will  give  you  up  afterward  to  Desmarets.'  Bernard 
followed,  and  while  the  walk  lasted  the  king  spoke  only  to 
Bergheyck  and  to  Bernard,  leading  them  everywhere,  and 
showing  them  everything  with  the  grace  he  knew  so  well 
how  to  employ  when  he  desired  to  overwhelm.  I  marveled, 
and  I  was  not  the  only  one,  at  this  species  of  prostitution 
of  the  king,  so  niggard  of  his  words,  to  a  man  of  Bernard's 
degree.  I  was  not  long  in  learning  the  cause  of  it,  and  I 
admired  to  see  how  the  greatest  kings  sometimes  find  them- 
selves reduced.  Our  finances  just  then  were  exhausted.  Des- 
marets no  longer  knew  of  what  wood  to  make  a  crutch.  He 
had  been  to  Paris,  knocking  at  every  door;  but  the  most 
exact  engagements  had  been  so  often  broken  that  he  found 
nothing  but  excuses  and  closed  doors.  Bernard,  like  the  rest, 
would  advance  nothing;  much  was  due  him.  In  vain  Des- 
marets represented  to  him  the  pressing  necessity  for  money, 

199 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

and  the  enormous  gains  he  had  made  out  of  the  king.  Ber- 
nard remained  unshakable.  The  king  and  the  minister  were 
cruelly  embarrassed.  Desmarets  said  to  the  king  that,  after 
all  was  said  and  done,  only  Samuel  Bernard  could  draw 
them  out  of  the  mess,  because  it  was  not  doubtful  that  he  had 
plenty  of  money  everywhere ;  that  the  only  thing  needed  was 
to  vanquish  his  determination  and  the  obstinacy,  even  in- 
solence, he  had  shown ;  that  he  was  a  man  crazy  with  vanity, 
and  capable  of  opening  his  purse  if  the  king  deigned  to 
flatter  him.  It  was  agreed,  therefore,  that  Desmarets  should 
invite  Bernard  to  dinner,  and  that  the  king  should  come  and 
disturb  them  as  I  have  related.  Bernard  was  the  dupe  of 
this  scheme;  he  returned  from  his  walk  with  the  king  en- 
chanted to  such  an  extent  that  he  said  he  would  prefer  ruin- 
ing himself  rather  than  leave  in  embarrassment  a  monarch 
who  had  just  treated  him  so  graciously  and  whose  eulogiums 
he  uttered  with  enthusiasm."  ^ 

Louis's  poise  was  perfect  and  proof  against  surprise.  Of 
this  Saint-Simon  gives  a  striking  example :  "  The  grand 
apartments  at  Versailles,  that  is  to  say  from  the  gallery 
to  the  tribune  of  the  chapel,  were  hung  with  crimson  velvet, 
trimmed  and  fringed  with  gold.  One  fine  morning  all  the 
fringe  and  trimmings  were  found  to  have  been  cut  away. 
This  appeared  extraordinary  in  a  place  so  frequented  all  day, 
so  well  closed  at  night,  and  so  well  guarded  at  all  times. 
Bontemps,  the  king's  valet,  was  in  despair,  and  did  his  ut- 
most to  discover  the  thieves,  but  without  success.  Five  or 
six  days  afterward,  I  was  at  the  king's  supper,  with  nobody 
but  Daquin,  chief  physician,  between  the  king  and  me,  and 
nobody  at  all  between  me  and  the  table.  Suddenly  I  per- 
ceived a  large  black  form  in  the  air,  but  before  I  could  tell 
what  it  was,  it  fell  upon  the  end  of  the  king's  table  just 
in  front  of  the  cover  which  had  been  laid  for  Monseigneur 
*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  i6. 
200 


o 


< 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

and  Madame.  By  the  noise  it  made  in  falling,  and  the  weight 
of  the  thing  itself,  it  seemed  as  though  the  table  must  be 
broken.  The  plates  jumped  up,  but  none  were  upset,  and 
the  thing,  as  luck  would  have  it,  did  not  fall  upon  any  of 
them,  but  simply  upon  the  cloth.  The  king  turned  his  head 
half  round,  and  without  being  moved  in  any  way  said,  '  I 
think  that  is  my  fringe ! '  It  was  indeed  a  bundle,  larger 
than  a  priest's  flat-brimmed  hat,  about  two  feet  in  height, 
and  shaped  like  a  pyramid.  It  had  come  from  behind  me, 
from  the  middle  door  of  the  two  antechambers,  and  a  piece 
of  fringe  getting  loose  in  the  air  had  fallen  upon  the  king's 
wig,  from  which  it  was  removed  by  Livry,  a  gentleman  in 
waiting.  Livry  also  opened  the  bundle,  and  saw  that  it  did 
indeed  contain  the  fringes  all  twisted  up,  and  everybody  saw 
likewise.  A  murmur  was  heard.  Livry,  wishing  to  take 
away  the  bundle,  found  a  paper  attached  to  it.  He  took  the 
paper  and  left  the  bundle.  The  king  stretched  out  his  hand 
and  said,  'Let  us  see.'  Livry,  and  with  reason,  would  not 
give  up  the  paper,  but  stepped  back,  read  it,  and  then  passed  it 
to  Daquin,  in  whose  hands  I  read  it.  The  writing,  coun- 
terfeited and  long  like  that  of  a  woman,  was  in  these  words : 
*  Take  back  your  fringes,  Bontemps ;  they  are  not  worth  the 
trouble  of  keeping.  My  compliments  to  the  king.'  The 
paper  was  rolled  up,  not  folded;  the  king  wished  to  take  it 
from  Daquin,  who,  after  much  hesitation,  allowed  him  to 
read  it,  but  did  not  let  it  out  of  his  hands.  '  Well,  that  is 
very  insolent ! '  said  the  king,  but  in  quite  a  placid,  unmoved 
tone — as  it  were,  an  historical  tone.  Afterward  he  ordered 
the  bundle  to  be  taken  away.  Livry  found  it  so  heavy  that 
he  could  scarcely  lift  it  from  the  table,  and  gave  it  to  an 
attendant  who  presented  himself.  The  king  spoke  no  more 
of  this  matter,  nobody  else  dared  to  do  so;  and  the  supper 
finished  as  though  nothing  had  happened.  Besides  the  excess 
of  insolence  and  impudence  of  this  act,  it  was  so  perilous  as 

201 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

to  be  scarcely  understood.  How  could  any  one,  without  be- 
ing seconded  by  accomplices,  throw  a  bundle  of  this  weight 
and  volume  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  such  as  was  always  pres- 
ent at  the  supper  of  the  king,  so  dense  that  it  could  with 
difficulty  be  passed  through?  How,  in  spite  of  a  circle  of 
accomplices,  could  a  movement  of  the  arms  necessary  for 
such  a  throw  escape  all  eyes?  The  Due  de  Gesvres  was  in 
waiting.  Neither  he  nor  anybody  else  thought  of  closing 
the  doors  until  the  king  had  left  the  table.  It  may  be  guessed 
whether  the  guilty  parties  remained  until  then,  having  had 
more  than  three  quarters  of  an  hour  to  escape,  and  every  issue 
being  free.  Only  one  person  was  discovered,  who  was  not 
known,  but  he  proved  to  be  a  very  honest  man,  and  was 
dismissed  after  a  short  detention.  Nothing  has  since  been 
discovered  respecting  this  theft  or  its  bold  restitution."  ^ 
Throughout  this  episode  Louis's  attitude  was  admirable. 
With  his  quickness  of  perception  he  grasped  at  once  the  mean- 
ing of  the  crash  and  the  mysterious  cause  of  it.  No  person 
but  the  one  who  had  been  bold  enough  to  steal  his  fringes 
would  dare  to  insult  him  in  such  fashion,  and  he  answered 
the  stares  of  his  courtiers  by  calmly  solving  the  enigma, 
"  I  think  that  is  my  fringe !  "  The  mockery  contained  in  the 
note  he  met  with  unruffled  majesty,  and  his  grip  on  those 
about  him  was  so  strong  that  not  one  of  them  dared  to  discuss 
the  matter  in  his  presence.  The  king's  poise,  in  small  affairs 
or  great,  was  well  calculated  to  awe  a  people  as  nervous  and 
excitable  as  the  French. 

Majesty,  courtesy,  grace,  and  tact  were,  therefore,  Louis's 
chief  virtues.  In  those  traits  of  character  he  surpassed  all 
the  kings  Europe  had  seen;  he  stood  alone  and  unrivaled. 
But  in  a  lesser  degree,  and  with  limitations,  he  had  other  vir- 
tues. "  He  was  always  kind  and  generous,"  says  the  Pala- 
tine, "  when  he  acted  from  his  own  impulses."    Even  Saint- 

*  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  140. 
202 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 


Simon,  bitter  as  he  is,  bears  the  same  testimony :  "  He  loved 
glory;  was  fond  of  order  and  regularity;  was  by  disposition 
prudent,  moderate,  discreet,  master  of  his  movements  and  of 
his  tongue.  Will  it  be  believed?  He  was  also  by  disposi- 
tion good  and  just !  God  had  sufficiently  gifted  him  to  enable 
him  to  be  a  good  king,  perhaps  even  a  tolerably  great  king. 
All  the  evil  came  to  him  from  elsewhere."  To  kindness,  gen- 
erosity, and  a  sense  of  justice  must  be  added  courage,  per- 
severance, and  reticence.  In  short,  the  king  had  many  good 
and  some  great  qualities. 

His  faults  were  due  chiefly  to  his  defective  education  and 
to  his  theories ;  the  former  made  him,  when  he  became  devout, 
a  bigot,  and  the  latter  almost  ruined  France  financially.  "  It 
is  impossible  for  a  man  to  be  more  ignorant  of  religion  than 
the  king  was,"  says  the  Palatine.  "  I  cannot  understand  how 
his  mother  could  have  brought  him  up  with  so  little  know- 
ledge on  this  subject.  He  believed  all  the  priests  said  to  him, 
as  if  it  came  from  God  Himself.  Old  Maintenon  and  Pere 
La  Chaise  had  persuaded  him  that  all  the  sins  he  had  com- 
mitted with  Madame  de  Montespan  would  be  pardoned  if  he 
extirpated  the  followers  of  the  reformed  religion,  and  that 
this  was  the  only  path  to  heaven.  The  poor  king  believed 
it  fervently,  for  he  had  never  read  a  Bible  in  his  life;  and 
immediately  after  this  the  persecution  commenced.  He  knew 
no  more  of  religion  than  what  his  confessors  chose  to  tell 
him,  and  they  made  him  believe  that  it  was  not  lawful  to 
investigate  in  matters  of  religion,  but  that  reason  should  be 
prostrated  in  order  to  gain  heaven.  The  king,  however,  was 
earnest  enough  himself,  and  it  was  not  his  fault  that  hypoc- 
risy reigned  at  court.  Old  Maintenon  had  forced  people  to 
assume  it."  The  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  was  the 
great  mistake  of  the  Grand  Monarch.  To  quote  a  famous 
phrase,  "  it  was  worse  than  a  crime ;  it  was  a  blunder."  Up 
to  the  day  when  he  committed  that  iniquity  Louis  had  led  the 

203 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

vanguard  of  European  civilization;  then  he  fell  back  a  cen- 
tury. Yet  his  Catholic  subjects  must  share  the  odium  with 
him,  for  they  forced  his  hand.  In  his  Memoirs,  written  in 
1670,  Louis  expresses  himself  as  follows:  "I  believed  that 
the  best  means,  in  order  to  reduce  the  Huguenots  of  my 
kingdom  by  degrees,  was  in  the  first  place  not  to  constrain 
them  at  all  by  any  new  rigor,  to  cause  that  to  be  observed 
toward  them  that  they  had  obtained  from  my  predecessors, 
but  to  accord  them  nothing  beyond  this,  and  even  to  confine 
its  execution  within  the  narrowest  limits  which  justice  and 
propriety  could  permit.  As  to  the  favors  which  depended 
on  me  alone,  I  resolved,  and  I  have  since  observed  this 
somewhat  strictly,  to  grant  them  none."  In  other  words, 
places  *and  pensions  were  to  be  for  Catholics  alone,  a  nar- 
row-minded policy,  which,  however,  was  all  that  could  rea- 
sonably be  expected  at  that  time  and  with  the  temper  of 
France.  Persecution  the  king  distinctly  condemned.  "  Those 
who  wished  to  employ  violent  remedies,"  he  continues,  "  did 
not  know  the  nature  of  this  evil,  caused  in  part  by  the  warmth 
of  minds,  which  must  be  left  to  pass  away  and  to  die  out 
insensibly,  instead  of  exciting  it  anew  by  such  strong  con- 
tradictions, always  useless,  moreover,  when  the  evil  is  not 
confined  to  a  certain  number,  but  diffused  throughout  the 
state."  ^  That  was  Louis's  attitude  up  to  1685,  and  doubtless 
he  would  have  maintained  it  but  for  Madame  de  Maintenon 
and  the  Jesuits.  The  second  wife  of  the  Grand  Monarch 
probably  helped  to  save  his  soul,  but  she  undoubtedly  helped 
to  ruin  his  kingdom. 

But  pitiful  as  he  was  in  matters  of  religion,  where  his 
"  reason  was  prostrated  in  order  to  gain  heaven,"  Louis  had 
naturally  a  strong  mind,  sound  judgment,  and  good  taste, 
and  in  other  directions,  in  spite  of  his  defective  education, 
he  made  great  strides.    Thanks  to  the  patronage  of  the  king^ 

'  (Euvres  de  Louis  XIV,  I,  p.  84. 
204 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

Versailles  became  not  only  the  rallying-point  for  the  nobility, 
but  the  rendezvous  for  artists  and  men  of  letters.  What 
a  galaxy  fortune  enabled  Louis  to  assemble! — Moliere,  Cor- 
neille,  Racine,  Boileau,  La  Fontaine,  Lebrun,  Girardon, 
Claude  Lorrain,  Le  Notre,  Massillon,  Bossuet,  Fenelon, 
Bourdaloue.  They  have  done  more  for  his  fame  than  his 
ministers  or  his  marshals;  they  have  outlived  him  and  his 
monarchy;  they  are  to-day  the  only  stars  in  his  crown.  In 
spite  of  the  hue  and  cry  raised  against  Moliere,  the  king  sup- 
ported him  steadily,  and  whether  the  anecdote  told  by  Ma- 
dame Campan,  on  doubtful  authority,  of  Moliere's  breakfast- 
ing with  Louis  at  his  lever,  be  true  or  false,  it  is  certainly  true 
that  when  Pierre  Roulles  produced  a  book  against  Moliere  and 
Tartuffe,  in  which  the  former  was  referred  to  as  "  a  demon, 
the  most  signal  infidel  that  has  ever  existed,"  and  the  latter 
as  "  an  impious,  abominable,  and  diabolical  piece,"  His  Maj- 
esty, far  from  relishing  the  flattery  of  the  dedication,  "  To 
Louis  XIV,  the  most  glorious  King  of  the  World,"  promptly 
had  the  edition  suppressed.  In  his  best  years,  the  king's 
benefactions  to  literary  men  and  artists  did  not  stop  at  the 
frontiers  of  France.  "  His  ambassadors  had  orders  to  seek 
out  the  men  in  all  countries  whose  labors  merited  the  public 
esteem ;  some  were  attracted  to  France  by  the  offer  of  honor- 
able and  advantageous  positions;  others  received  gratuities 
and  pensions,  accompanied  by  most  flattering  letters  from  the 
hand  of  Colbert,  without  other  conditions  than  the  tacit  ob- 
ligation of  loudly  expressing  their  gratitude.  The  effect  of 
this  liberality  which  sought  out  merit  throughout  Europe, 
without  distinction  of  nationality,  and  which  made  the  King 
of  France  the  protector  of  the  republic  of  letters,  was  im- 
mense, and  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  material  expense."  ^ 
Such  a  step  on  the  part  of  a  man  whose  early  education  had 
been  so  much  neglected  that  he  had  been  taught  little  beyond 

*  Henri  Martin,  History  of  France,  I,  p.  144. 
205 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

reading  and  writing  leads  one  to  the  conclusion  of  the  Pala- 
tine, "  It  is  almost  a  miracle  that  the  king  should  have  become 
what  he  afterward  was." 

But  the  point  at  which  Louis  seems  to  the  modern  mind 
most  difficult  to  comprehend,  nay,  more,  fantastic  and  absurd, 
is  in  his  mental  attitude  toward  himself  and  his  mission. 
How  great  is  the  gulf  which  separates  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury from  the  twentieth !  "  Royal  authority,"  says  Bossuet, 
"  is  absolute.  The  king  should  render  an  account  to  no  one 
for  what  he  prescribes.  Kings  are  gods,  according  to  the 
language  of  the  Scriptures,  and  participate  in  some  manner 
in  divine  independence.  Against  the  authority  of  the  king 
there  can  be  no  remedy  except  in  his  authority.  There  is  no 
coactive  force  against  the  king.  ...  It  is  not  justifiable  to 
rise  against  kings  for  any  cause  whatsoever.  To  speak  against 
the  king  is  a  cause  worthy  of  the  greatest  punishment,  and 
this  crime  is  treated  as  almost  equal  to  that  of  blasphemy 
against  God."  ^  Upon  this  doctrine  Louis  was  brought  up, 
and  in  him  it  reached  its  logical  fulfilment.  By  it  he  ruled, 
for  neither  philosophy  nor  science  had  as  yet  placed  in  the 
minds  of  his  subjects  a  doubt  to  say  him  nay.  "  France  is  a 
monarchical  state  in  the  full  extent  of  the  expression,"  says 
Louis.  "  The  king  represents  therein  the  entire  nation,  and 
each  private  individual  represents  only  a  single  individual 
toward  the  king.  Consequently  all  power,  all  authority,  re- 
sides in  the  hands  of  the  king,  and  there  can  be  no  other  in  his 
kingdom  than  that  which  he  establishes.  The  nation  does  not 
form  a  body  in  France.  It  resides  entire  in  the  person  of  the 
king."  ^  One  should  not  make  the  mistake  of  supposing  that 
this  expression  of  the  powers  inherent  in  royalty  was  merely 
the  personal  opinion  of  the  King  of  France.  It  was  the  be- 
lief of  millions  of  his  subjects,  probably  not  to  the  full  extent 

^  CEuvres  de  Bossuet,  IV,  V,  VI. 
'  (Euvres  de  Louis  XIV,  II,  p.  93. 

206 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

of  Louis's  conception,  but  in  a  degree  sufficient  to  give  that 
conception  a  living  force.  But  Louis's  idea  of  absolute  mon- 
archy did  not  stop  there;  he  denied  the  right  of  individual 
property.  "  Everything  that  is  found  in  the  extent  of  our 
states,  of  whatsoever  nature  it  may  be,  belongs  to  us  by  the 
same  right.  The  moneys  which  are  in  our  coffers,  those 
which  remain  in  the  hands  of  our  treasurers,  and  those  which 
we  leave  in  the  commerce  of  our  people,  should  be  alike  man- 
aged by  us.  Kings  are  absolute  lords,  and  have  naturally 
the  full  and  free  disposal  of  all  the  goods  possessed  as  well 
by  churchmen  as  by  laymen,  to  use  them  at  all  times,  ac- 
cording to  the  general  need  of  their  state."  *  Before  such  a 
monstrous  principle  one  stands  aghast.  In  the  face  of  this, 
the  $100,000,000  spent  by  the  Grand  Monarch  in  creating 
Versailles  seems  insignificant.  This  startling  assumption  of 
the  royal  ownership  of  all  property  was,  again,  not  merely 
the  king's  private  opinion,  but  was  backed  up  by  the  Sor- 
bonne.  "  The  king  related  to  Marechal,"  says  Saint-Simon, 
"that  the  extremity  of  his  affairs  (1710)  had  forced  him 
to  put  on  furious  imposts;  that  setting  aside  compassion, 
scruples  had  much  tormented  him  for  taking  thus  the  wealth 
of  his  subjects;  that  at  last  he  had  unbosomed  himself  to 
Pere  Tellier,  who  had  asked  for  a  few  days  to  think  upon 
the  matter,  and  that  he  had  returned  after  having  had  a  con- 
sultation with  some  of  the  most  skilful  doctors  of  the  Sor- 
bonne,  who  had  decided  that  all  the  wealth  of  his  subjects 
was  the  king's,  and  that  when  he  took  it  he  only  took  what 
belonged  to  him."  ^  While  Colbert  lived,  while  the  resources 
of  France  were  developed,  while  money  abounded  and  the 
state  flourished,  this  principle  was  more  a  theory  than  a  law ; 
but  when,  in  the  bad  years  of  the  War  of  the  Spanish  Suc- 
cession, Louis  made  use  of  it,  in  a  death-struggle  with  Eu- 

^  (Euvres   de   Louis   XIV,   II,   p.  121. 
*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  161. 

207 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

rope,  his  subjects  accepted  it  in  so  far  only  as  they  paid  the 
taxes,  without  ceasing  to  cry  out.  "  On  my  arrival  at  Marly 
(1709),"  says  Saint-Simon,  "I  found  everything  in  trouble 
there;  the  king  so  chagrined  that  he  could  not  hide  it,  al- 
though usually  master  of  himself  and  of  his  face;  the  court 
believing  that  some  new  disaster  had  happened  which  would 
unwillingly  be  declared.  Four  or  five  days  passed  in  this 
way;  at  last  it  became  known  what  was  in  the  wind.  The 
king,  informed  that  Paris  and  all  the  public  were  murmuring 
loudly  about  the  expenses  of  Marly,  at  a  time  when  it  was 
impossible  to  meet  the  most  indispensable  claims  of  a  neces- 
sary and  unfortunate  war,  was  more  annoyed  this  time  than 
on  any  other  occasion,  although  he  had  often  received  the 
same  warnings.  Madame  de  Maintenon  had  the  greatest 
diificulty  to  hinder  him  from  returning  straight  to  Versailles. 
The  upshot  was  that  the  king  declared  with  a  sort  of  bitter 
joy  that  he  would  no  longer  feed  the  ladies  at  Marly;  that 
for  the  future  he  would  dine  alone,  simply,  as  at  Versailles; 
that  he  would  sup  every  day  at  a  table  for  sixteen  with  his 
family.  He  added  bitterly  that  by  making  retrenchments  at 
Marly,  he  should  not  spend  more  there  than  at  Versailles, 
so  that  he  could  go  there  when  he  pleased  without  being  ex- 
posed to  the  blame  of  any  one.  He  deceived  himself  from 
one  end  of  this  business  to  the  other.  The  truth  is  that  no 
change  was  made  at  Marly  except  in  name.  The  king's  sub- 
jects did  not  cease  to  complain." 

Louis  was  not  a  soldier.  He  was  brave  enough,  he  was  an 
admirable  organizer,  and,  seconded  by  Louvois,  he  made  his 
army  the  most  efficient  in  Europe;  but  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  he  crossed  the  Rhine  and  entered  triumphantly  into 
conquered  cities,  or  directed  military  operations  from  his 
cabinet  at  Versailles,  his  pose  as  a  great  captain  strikes  a 
false  note.  He  owed  the  success  of  his  spectacular  sieges 
to  Vauban,  and  the  best  opportunity  he  ever  had  of  winning 

208 


Jacques  Benigne  Bossuet.  Bishop  of  Meaux 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

a  pitched  battle  he  threw  away.  "  We  were  in  this  position," 
says  Saint-Simon,  "  with  an  army  in  every  way  infinitely 
superior  to  that  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  and  with  four  whole 
months  before  us  to  profit  by  our  strength,  when  the  king 
declared  on  the  8th  of  June  (1693)  that  he  should  return 
to  Versailles,  and  sent  off  a  large  detachment  of  the  army 
into  Germany.  The  surprise  of  the  Marechal  de  Luxem- 
bourg was  without  bounds.  He  represented  the  facility  with 
which  the  Prince  of  Orange  might  now  be  beaten  with  one 
army  and  pursued  by  another;  and  how  important  it  was 
to  draw  off  detachments  of  the  Imperial  forces  from  Germany 
into  Flanders,  and  how,  by  sending  an  army  into  Flanders 
instead  of  Germany,  the  whole  of  the  Low  Countries  would 
be  in  our  power.  But  the  king  would  not  change  his  plans, 
although  M.  de  Luxembourg  went  down  on  his  knees,  and 
begged  him  not  to  allow  such  a  glorious  opportunity  to  es- 
cape. Madame  de  Maintenon,  by  her  tears  when  she  parted 
from  His  Majesty,  and  by  her  letters  since,  had  brought 
about  this  resolution."  ^  It  is  the  business  of  a  soldier  to 
destroy  the  enemy. 

When  Pere  La  Chaise  died,  the  news  was  brought  to  the 
king  as  he  came  out  of  his  cabinet.  "  He  received  it,"  says 
Saint-Simon,  "  like  a  prince  accustomed  to  losses,  praised 
Pere  La  Chaise  for  his  goodness,  and  then  said  smilingly, 
and  quite  aloud,  before  all  the  courtiers,  to  the  two  priests 
who  had  come  to  announce  the  death :  '  He  was  so  good  that 
I  sometimes  reproached  him  for  it,  and  he  used  to  reply 
to  me,  "  It  is  not  I  who  am  good;  it  is  you  who  are  hard."  ' 
The  priests  and  all  the  courtiers  were  so  surprised  at  this 
that  they  lowered  their  eyes.  The  remark  spread  directly; 
nobody  was  able  to  blame  Pere  La  Chaise."  This  anecdote 
implies  another  phase  of  the  king's  character,  hardness,  or, 
in  other  words,  pride.     The  Grand  Monarch  was  not  natu- 

'  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  31. 
^*  209 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

rally  hard  of  heart,  but  he  was  one  of  the  proudest  men  of 
whom  history  makes  mention,  and  on  the  subject  of  his  pride 
he  has  received  a  vast  amount  of  criticism.  It  is  an  open 
question  if  much  of  that  criticism  is  not  misplaced.  Louis 
was  not  a  philanthropist,  nor  a  philosopher,  nor  a  financier, 
nor  a  builder  of  better  lodgings  for  workingmen;  he  was  a 
king,  according  to  his  lights,  and  in  his  judgment,  to  be  a 
king,  was  to  rise  and  shine.  "  The  business  of  a  king,"  he 
says  in  his  Memoirs,  "  is  great,  noble,  and  gratifying,  when 
one  feels  capable  of  worthily  fulfilling  all  the  obligations 
it  involves,  but  it  is  not  exempt  from  trouble,  fatigue,  and 
disquiet.  Uncertainty  is  sometimes  most  distressing,  and 
when  reasonable  time  has  been  passed  in  examination  of  a 
matter,  a  resolution  must  be  taken,  and  the  line  one  believes 
to  be  the  best,  followed.  While  keeping  the  state  in  view, 
one  works  for  oneself;  the  good  of  the  one  makes  the  glory 
of  the  other.  When  the  former  is  prosperous,  exalted,  and 
powerful,  he  who  is  the  cause  of  this  may  be  proud,  and 
enjoy  all  that  is  most  agreeable  in  life  more  fully  than  his 
subjects  on  his  own  account  and  theirs.  When  one  has  made 
mistakes,  the  fault  should  be  repaired  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  no  consideration,  not  even  that  of  kindness,  be  allowed 
to  prevent  this."  That  was  his  attitude,  and  since  in  the  first 
half  of  his  reign  he  had  made  France  "  prosperous,  exalted, 
and  powerful,"  he  was  proud,  and  his  subjects  were  proud  of 
him.  We  know  to-day  that  his  principles  were  false,  but  in 
the  face  of  the  defeats  and  misfortunes  of  his  later  years 
he  followed  those  principles  with  a  constancy  and  a  courage 
that  make  criticism  unjust  and  ridicule  impossible.  When 
his  fortunes  were  most  desperate,  owing  to  the  terrible  de- 
feats his  forces  had  suffered  at  the  hands  of  Marlborough 
and  Prince  Eugene,  and  when  his  private  griefs  were  most 
bitter,  due  to  the  sudden  deaths  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne,  the  Due  de  Bourgogne,  and  their  son,  the  Due  de 

210 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 


Bretagne,  the  old  king  displayed  a  pride  and  a  courage  truly 
admirable.  Villars  has  left  an  account  of  the  memorable 
interview  he  had  with  Louis  on  the  i6th  of  April,  17 12, 
before  he  set  out  to  command  the  army  in  Flanders :  "  The 
first  time  that  I  had  the  honor  of  seeing  the  king  at  Marly 
after  these  sad  events,  the  firmness  of  the  monarch  gave  way 
to  the  grief  of  the  man.  He  wept,  and  said  to  me  in  a 
tone  which  moved  me,  '  You  see  my  state.  Monsieur  le  Mare- 
chal.  There  are  few  examples  of  such  misfortune  as  has  hap- 
pened to  me,  since  I  have  lost  in  less  than  a  month  my  grand- 
son, my  granddaughter-in-law,  and  their  son,  all  of  the  great- 
est promise,  all  most  tenderly  loved.  God  has  punished  me. 
I  have  deserved  it.  I  shall  suffer  less  in  another  world.  But 
let  us  lay  aside  my  domestic  misfortunes  and  see  what  can 
be  done  to  prevent  those  which  threaten  the  kingdom.  The 
confidence  I  have  in  you  is  great,  since  I  place  in  your  hands 
the  forces  and  the  safety  of  the  state.  I  know  the  reasoning 
of  the  courtiers.  They  wish  me  to  retire  to  Blois  and  not  to 
wait  until  the  army  of  the  enemy  approaches  Paris.  But 
if  a  disaster  should  happen  to  the  army  which  you  command, 
I  will  go  to  St.  Quentin,  collect  there  all  the  troops  I  have, 
make  a  last  effort  with  you,  and  perish  with  you,  or  save 
the  state.  Never  will  I  suffer  the  enemy  to  approach  my 
capital.'  "  With  these  words  ringing  in  his  ears,  Villars  set 
out,  won  the  battle  of  Denain,  and  saved  France. 

Louis,  as  has  been  said,  was  not  naturally  hard  of  he^rt, 
but  his  beliefs,  his  aims,  and  his  environment  made  him  self- 
centered  and  self-absorbed.  Saint-Simon  gives  an  example 
of  this,  all  the  more  striking  since  it  concerns  a  person  to 
whom  the  king  was  sincerely  devoted :  "  The  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne,  being  in  the  family  way  this  spring  (1708),  was 
much  inconvenienced.  The  king  wished  to  go  to  Fontaine- 
bleau  at  the  commencement  of  the  fine  season,  contrary  to 
his  usual  custom,  and  had  declared  this  wish.     In  the  mean- 


211 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

time  he  desired  to  pay  visits  to  Marly.  Madame  de  Bour- 
gogne  much  amused  him;  he  could  not  do  without  her,  and 
yet  so  much  movement  was  not  suitable  to  her  state.  Ma- 
dame de  Maintenon  was  uneasy,  and  Fagon  gently  inti- 
mated his  opinion.  This  annoyed  the  king,  accustomed  to 
restrain  himself  for  nothing,  and  spoiled  in  the  past  by  hav- 
ing seen  his  mistresses  travel  when  pregnant,  or  when  just 
recovering  from  their  confinement,  and  always  in  full  dress. 
The  hints  against  going  to  Marly  bothered  him,  but  did 
not  make  him  give  up  going.  All  he  would  consent  to  was 
that  the  journey  should  be  put  off  from  the  day  after  Quasi- 
modo to  the  Wednesday  of  the  following  week ;  but  nothing 
could  make  him  delay  his  journey  beyond  that  time,  or  induce 
him  to  allow  Madame  de  Bourgogne  to  remain  at  Versailles. 
On  the  following  Saturday,  as  the  king  was  taking  a  walk 
at  Marly  after  mass,  and  amusing  himself  at  the  carp-basin 
between  the  chateau  and  the  Perspective,^  we  saw  the  Duch- 
esse  de  Lude  coming  toward  him  on  foot  and  all  alone, 
which,  as  no  lady  was  with  the  king  in  the  morning,  was 
a  rarity.  We  understood  that  she  had  something  important 
to  say  to  him,  and  when  he  was  a  short  distance  from  her, 
we  stopped  so  as  to  allow  him  to  join  her  alone.  The  inter- 
view was  not  long.  She  went  away  again,  and  the  king 
came  back  toward  us,  and  near  the  carp-basin,  without  say- 
ing a  word.  Each  saw  clearly  what  was  in  the  wind,  and 
noHody  was  eager  to  speak.  At  last  the  king,  when  quite 
close  to  the  basin,  looked  at  the  principal  people  around, 
and,  without  addressing  anybody,  said,  with  an  air  of  vexa- 
tion, these  few  words,  '  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  is  hurt.' 
M.  de  la  Rochefoucauld  ^  at  once  uttered  an  exclamation. 
M.  de  Bouillon,  the  Due  de  Tresmes,  and  the  Marechal  de 
Boufflers  repeated  in  a  low  tone  the  words  I  have  named; 

^  The  pavilion  behind  which  were  the  lodgings  of  the  servants. 
'  The  grand  huntsman  of  France. 

212 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

and  M.  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  returning  to  the  charge,  de- 
clared emphatically  that  it  was  the  greatest  misfortune  in 
the  world,  and  that,  as  she  had  already  wounded  herself 
on  other  occasions,  she  might  never,  perhaps,  have  any  more 
children.  '  And  if  so,'  interrupted  the  king  all  on  a  sud- 
den, with  anger,  '  what  is  that  to  me  ?  Has  she  not  already 
a  son;  and  if  he  should  die,  is  not  the  Due  de  Berry  old 
enough  to  marry  and  have  one?  What  matters  it  to  me 
who  succeeds  me,  the  one  or  the  other?  Are  they  not  all 
equally  my  grandchildren  ? '  And  immediately,  with  im- 
petuosity, he  added :  *  Thank  God  she  is  wounded,  since  she 
was  to  be  so;  and  I  shall  no  longer  be  annoyed  in  my  jour- 
neys and  in  everything  I  wish  to  do  by  the  representations 
of  doctors,  and  the  reasonings  of  matrons.  I  shall  go. and 
come  at  my  pleasure,  and  shall  be  left  in  peace.'  A  silence 
so  deep  that  an  ant  might  be  heard  to  walk  succeeded  this 
strange  outburst.  All  eyes  were  lowered;  people  scarcely 
dared  to  breathe.  All  remained  stupefied.  Even  the  do- 
mestics and  the  gardeners  stood  motionless.  This  silence 
lasted  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  The  king  broke  it 
as  he  leaned  upon  a  balustrade  to  speak  of  a  carp.  Nobody 
replied.  He  addressed  himself  afterward  on  the  subject  of 
these  carps  to  the  valets,  who  did  not  ordinarily  join  in 
the  conversation.  Nothing  but  carps  was  spoken  of  with 
them.  All  was  languishing,  and  the  king  went  away  some 
time  after.  As  soon  as  we  dared  look  at  each  other  out  of  his 
sight,  our  eyes  met  and  told  all.  Everybody  there,  was,  for 
the  moment,  the  confidant  of  his  neighbor.  We  admired, 
we  marveled,  we  grieved,  we  shrugged  our  shoulders.  How- 
ever distant  may  be  that  scene,  it  is  always  equally  present 
to  me.  M.  de  la  Rochefoucauld  was  in  a  fury,  and  this  time 
without  being  wrong.  The  chief  equerry  was  ready  to  faint 
with  affright.  I  myself  examined  everybody  with  my  eyes 
and  ears,  and  was  satisfied  with  myself  for  having  long 

213 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

since  thought  that  the  king  loved  and  cared  for  himself  alone, 
and  was  himself  his  only  object  in  life.  This  strange  dis- 
course sounded  far  and  wide,  much  beyond  Marly."  ^  Ma- 
dame de  Maintenon,  who  knew  better  than  anybody  else  this 
phase  of  the  king's  character,  has  left  on  record,  in  a  letter 
to  Madame  de  Glapion,  some  lines  which  explain  it  per- 
fectly :  "  Great  people,  as  a  rule,  never  constrain  themselves. 
They  never  think  that  others  are  constrained  by  them,  nor 
do  they  feel  grateful  for  it;  simply  because  they  are  so 
accustomed  to  see  everything  done  in  reference  to  themselves 
that  they  are  no  longer  struck  by  it,  and  pay  no  heed." 

Little  has  been  said  here  of  the  king's  mistresses.  Mile, 
de  la  Valliere,  Madame  de  Montespan,  Mile,  de  Fontanges, 
and  Madame  de  Soubise  belong  to  an  earlier  period.  From 
1682,  when  Versailles  became  the  seat  of  government,  and 
what  was  properly  the  court  of  Versailles  began,  Louis  had 
no  mistresses.  For  two  or  three  years  the  courtiers  were 
disposed  to  consider  Madame  de  Maintenon  in  that  light, 
but  they  discovered  their  error.  "  The  king,"  says  the  Pala- 
tine, "  gave  great  scandal  on  account  of  his  mistresses ;  but 
then  he  very  sincerely  repented  of  these  offenses."  During 
the  last  thirty-three  years  of  his  life  the  Grand  Monarch 
set  an  example  of  clean  living  and  piety,  and  it  would  be  both 
unjust  and  inaccurate  to  drag  the  scandals  of  his  young  man- 
hood into  his  old  age. 

Such  were  some  of  the  lights  and  shadows  in  the  char- 
acter of  the  most  powerful  and  popular  of  the  Bourbon 
kings;  for,  in  spite  of  his  errors,  Louis  was  popular  during 
the  greater  part  of  his  long  reign,  and  his  strength  lay  in 
the  fact  that  he  was  thoroughly  French,  and  that  his  aims 
and  ambitions  were  those  of  the  large  majority  of  his  sub- 
jects. Wearied  by  the  disorders  of  the  Fronde,  they  had 
no  wish  to  try  constitutional  experiments;  they  longed  for 

^  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  15. 
214 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

a  strong  government,  glory,  territory,  and  prestige,  and 
Louis  gave  them  what  they  craved.  Up  to  1690  at  least, 
he  was  the  personification  of  their  ambitions  and  their  hopes, 
and  in  that  sense  he  could  have  uttered  truly  the  famous 
phrase,  which  will  always  cling  to  him  despite  the  doubt  as 
to  its  authenticity,  L'Etat,  c'est  moi.  In  the  bitter  years  of 
the  War  of  the  Spanish  Succession  his  popularity  and  his 
financial  system  were  strained  to  the  breaking-point;  and 
when,  out  of  his  furious  struggle  with  Europe,  he  emerged, 
bleeding  but  still  erect,  uncrushed  and  unconquered,  he  had 
only  two  years  to  draw  breath  before  he  died. 

The  world  has  failed  to  confirm  the  title,  conferred  on 
him  by  the  city  of  Paris,  Louis  the  Great;  for  though  in 
him  there  were  elements  of  greatness,  he  was  too  tightly 
bound  by  the  trammels  of  etiquette,  too  closely  hedged  about 
by  his  divine  right,  to  become  a  really  great  man.  But 
the  title.  Grand  Monarch,  which  sprang  spontaneously  to 
the  lips  of  his  contemporaries,  is  rightfully  his,  for  he  won 
it  himself  by  his  majesty  and  bearing,  by  his  courtesy  and 
grace,  by  the  dignity  with  which  he  ruled  his  court,  by  his 
continuous  labor,  by  his  unvarying  punctuality,  by  his  stead- 
fast faith  in  the  lofty  origin  of  his  office,  and  by  his  consistent 
endeavor  to  live  up  to  his  conception  of  his  duties  and  re- 
sponsibilities. 

THE   SUN   KING 

Louis  was  an  idealist,  and  Versailles  was  more  than  the 
dwelling  of  a  King  of  France.  On  the  ceiling  of  its  sump- 
tuous Galerie  des  Glaces  was  a  Sun  King,  young,  victorious, 
and  crowned  with  laurel,  whom  all  the  Arts  united  to  cele- 
brate, who  had  dethroned  Jupiter,  and  had  created,  on  the 
glittering  arches  of  Versailles,  a  new  Olympus  in  which  all 
the  gods  and  goddesses  of  mythology  swelled  his  triumph 
train.    Out  under  the  blue  sky  he  drove  his  four-horse  chariot 

215 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

amid  the  leaping  waters/  and  the  gilded  device  ^  of  his  divin- 
ity blazed  on  the  railings  that  hedged  his  royal  house.  He 
was  always  young,  he  was  always  victorious,  he  was  always 
crowned  with  laurel,  he  was  always  superb.  Each  day  he 
rose  and  set  with  the  same  splendor,  and  in  transit  he  gave 
light  and  life  to  all  the  world.  He  was  Louis's  ideal,  and 
toward  him  Louis  unceasingly  strove,  hampered  by  the  finan- 
cial difficulties  of  an  earthly  existence. 

"Sire,"  wrote  Colbert  in  1675,  "I  entreat  Your  Majesty 
to  permit  me  to  tell  you  that  neither  in  war  nor  in  peace 
have  you  ever  consulted  your  finances  to  determine  your 
expenditures,  which  are  so  extraordinary  that  they  are  cer- 
tainly without  example;  and,  if  you  will  be  pleased  to  ex- 
amine and  compare  the  times  and  years,  during  the  last 
twenty-five  years  that  I  have  had  the  honor  of  serving  you, 
you  will  find  that,  although  the  receipts  have  greatly  in- 
creased, the  expenditures  have  far  exceeded  the  receipts, 
and  perhaps  this  will  persuade  Your  Majesty  to  moderate 
and  curtail  what  is  excessive,  and  by  this  means  to  put  a 
little  more  proportion  between  the  receipts  and  the  expendi- 
tures." To  this  Louis  answered,  "  The  king  gives  alms  in 
spending  largely."  It  was  the  Sun  King  who  replied.  The 
business  of  a  Sun  King  was  not  to  balance  receipts  and 
expenditures.     A  Sun  King  dazzled,  or  he  did  nothing. 

From  1670  to  1685,  with  a  magnificent  disregard  of  re- 
ceipts and  expenditures,  Louis  neared  his  goal.  He  was 
young  and  victorious  and  crowned  with  laurel.  He  rose  and 
set  each  day  with  the  same  splendor,  and  in  transit  he  gave, 
in  his  opinion,  light  and  life  to  all  the  world.  "  All  was 
flourishing  then  in  the  state,"  says  Saint-Simon.  "  Riches 
everywhere.    Colbert  had  placed  the  finances,  the  navy,  com- 

*  The  basin  of  Apollo.  impar  was  invented  for  him  at  the 

'  Louis  took  the  sun  for  his  device  time    of    the    tournament    on    the 

in  1656,  at  a  fete  given  at  the  Palais  Place  du  Carrousel  in  1662. 

Royal.      The   legend   Nee   pluribus 

216' 


s* 

i, 

o 

^_ 

^w 

'X 

5" 

o 

i 

> 

[ 

•o 

* 

o_ 

•pr 

His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

merce,  manufactures,  letters  even,  upon  the  highest  point; 
and  this  age,  like  that  of  Augustus,  produced  in  abundance 
illustrious  men  of  all  kinds,  even  those  illustrious  only  in 
pleasures."  In  the  Mercure  may  be  found  an  account  of  the 
reception  of  the  Doge  of  Genoa  at  Versailles  on  the  15th 
of  May,  1685  •  "  When  the  doge  and  the  senators  had  as- 
cended the  magnificent  staircase  leading  to  the  grand  apart- 
ments of  His  Majesty,  they  entered  the  salon  of  War,  and 
turned  from  that  into  the  grand  gallery,  at  the  other  end 
of  which  was  the  king  on  his  throne  in  the  salon  of  Peace. 
.  .  .  All  the  apartments  and  the  gallery  were  magnificently 
furnished  with  silver  furniture,  worth  many  million  livres. 
The  crowd  was  so  great  that,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  made 
to  keep  a  passage  free,  the  doge  had  much  difficulty  in 
crossing  the  gallery.  M.  le  Marechal  Due  de  Duras  con- 
ducted him  to  the  foot  of  His  Majesty's  throne.  It  was 
made  of  silver."  When  Louis  received  the  ambassadors  of 
Siam  in  1686,  the  Marquis  de  Sourches  describes  the  king's 
costume  as  follows :  "  He  wore  a  habit  of  cloth  of  gold,  laced 
with  large  diamonds."  ^  Madame  de  Montespan  is  in  accord  : 
"  When  His  Majesty  appeared  on  his  throne,  the  fire  of  the 
diamonds  with  which  he  was  covered  for  a  moment  dazzled 
all  eyes."  ^  "  As  for  the  king  himself,"  declares  Saint- 
Simon,  "  nobody  ever  approached  his  magnificence."  ^ 

But  France  was  not  rich  enough  to  support  a  Sun  King's 
splendor  and  wage  war  at  the  same  time.  "  The  king," 
says  Dangeau,  under  date  of  1689,  "  has  decided  that  peo- 
ple must  send  to  the  mint  all  their  silver  furniture,  tables, 
mirrors,  vases,  etc.,  and  to  set  the  example  himself  he  has 
had  melted  up  all  his  beautiful  silver  furniture,  in  spite  of 
the  richness  of  the  workmanship."     Things  went  from  bad 

^  Memoirs,  II,  p.  161 

'  Memoirs    of    Madame   de   Montespan,  II,  p.  307. 

'Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  369. 

217 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

to  worse,  until  in  the  War  of  the  Spanish  Succession  the  Sun 
King  disappeared  in  the  battle-smoke  of  Blenheim,  leaving 
the  King  of  France  to  struggle  with  misfortune.  "  The 
want  of  money  indeed  made  itself  felt  so  much  at  this  time 
(1707),"  says  Saint-Simon,  "that  the  king  was  obliged  to 
seek  for  resources  as  a  private  person  might  have  done.  .  .  . 
The  difficulty  of  finding  money  to  carry  on  the  affairs  of  the 
nation  continued  to  grow  so  irksome  that  Chamillart,  who 
had  both  the  finance  and  war  departments  under  his  control, 
was  unable  to  stand  against  the  increased  trouble  and 
vexation  which  this  state  of  things  brought  to  him.  More 
than  once  he  had  represented  that  this  double  work  was  too 
much  for  him.  But  the  king  had  in  former  times  expressed 
so  much  annoyance  from  the  troubles  that  arose  between 
the  finance  and  war  departments  that  he  would  not  separate 
them  after  having  once  joined  them  together.  At  last  Cha- 
millart could  bear  up  under  his  heavy  load  no  longer.  The 
vapors  seized  him;  he  had  attacks  of  giddiness  in  the  head; 
his  digestion  was  obstructed;  he  grew  thin  as  a  lath.  He 
wrote  again  to  the  king,  begging  to  be  released  from  his 
duties,  and  stating  frankly  that,  in  the  state  he  was,  if  some 
relief  was  not  afforded  him,  everything  would  go  wrong  and 
perish.  He  always  left  a  large  margin  to  his  letters,  and 
upon  this  the  king  generally  wrote  his  reply.  Chamillart 
showed  me  this  lefter  when  it  came  back  to  him,  and  I  saw 
upon  it  with  great  surprise,  in  the  handwriting  of  the  king, 
this  short  note :  *  Well,  let  us  perish  together.'  " 

Did  they  not  perish  together.  Sun  King  and  King  of 
France,  and  when  the  end  came  in  171 5,  who  but  the  man 
alone  was  left  to  meet  it  ?  "  On  Saturday  evening,  the  24th 
of  August,  he  supped  in  his  dressing-gown,  in  the  presence 
of  the  courtiers,  for  the  last  time.  I  noticed  that  he  could 
only  swallow  liquids,  and  that  he  was  troubled  if  looked  at. 
He  could  not  finish  his  supper,  and  begged  the  courtiers  to 

218 


His  Personal  Appearance  and  Character 

pass  on,  that  is  to  say,  go  away."  ^  And  when  they  had  gone, 
and  the  doors  were  shut,  leaning  on  his  valet  de  chamhre, 
he  tottered  for  the  last  time  to  his  crimson  couch.  Could 
night  recall  the  vanished  dream? 

Still,  heedless  of  the  centuries,  upon  the  arches  of  that 
sumptuous  Galerie  des  Glaces,  the  Sun  King  sits  serene. 
Out  under  the  blue  sky  he  drives  his  four-horse  chariot  amid 
the  leaping  waters,  and  the  gilded  device  of  his  divinity  still 
blazes  on  the  railings  that  hedge  his  royal  house.  He  is  al- 
ways young,  he  is  always  victorious,  he  is  always  crowned 
with  laurel,  he  is  always  superb.  Each  day  he  rises  and  sets 
with  the  same  splendor,  and  in  transit  he  gives  light  and  life 
to  all  the  world. 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  350. 


219 


V 
ETIQUETTE 

VERSAILLES  was  a  world  in  which  all  the  no- 
bility revolved,  according  to  their  rank,  each  in 
his  own  orbit,  like  the  stars  and  planets  about 
the  sun.  Etiquette,  invisible  and  absolute  as 
gravitation,  bound  all,  and  an  infraction  of  its  laws  was  the 
unpardonable  sin.  Unseen  itself,  its  visible  manifestations 
appeared  on  all  sides  and  at  every  moment.  It  worked  noise- 
lessly by  signs  and  wonders.  It  erected  unseen  barriers  in 
the  center  of  apartments;  it  closed  doorways  by  intangible 
gates  of  steel ;  it  placed  one  chair  on  the  right  hand  and 
another  on  the  left ;  it  arranged  men  in  lines  and  half-circles ; 
it  assembled  them  in  certain  apartments  and  in  certain  at- 
titudes ;  it  dismissed  them  into  other  apartments  and  other 
attitudes ;  and  at  all  times  and  in  all  places  it  controlled  their 
motions.  It  filled  the  atmosphere.  Birth  and  death,  love  and 
marriage,  pain  and  pleasure,  were  regulated  by  it  and  were 
subservient  to  it.  It  governed  the  throne  and  the  altar.  The 
king  himself  was  but  its  chief  custodian  and  interpreter.  A 
lifetime  was  hardly  sufficient  to  learn  its  mysteries.  Men 
were  its  slaves,  and  women  died  for  it.  It  assumed  the 
attributes  of  Deity. 

Louis  did  not  invent  that  etiquette.  There  exists  a  regula- 
tion of  Henri  III,  under  date  of  1585,  in  which  the  etiquette 
of  the  court  is  nearly  the  same  as  that  of  Louis  XIV;  but 

220 


Etiquette 

Louis  gave  to  it  new  dignity  and  precision,  new  force  and 
power,  and  on  a  scale  hitherto  unknown.  To  enforce  eti- 
quette, Louis  himself  was  compelled  to  be  ruled  by  etiquette. 
He  ceased  to  be  a  free  agent,  and  etiquette  became  supreme. 

Since,  then,  the  king  yielded  to  the  higher  law,  conformed 
to  it,  and  became  its  perfect  exemplar,  all  men  found  it  nec- 
essary to  do  the  same,  according  to  their  abilities,  from  the 
princes  of  the  blood  down  through  all  ranks  and  grades 
of  dukes  and  peers,  of  gentlemen-servants  and  valets  de 
chamhre,  to  the  pack-horse  porters  of  the  Kitchen.  They 
moved  obedient  to  the  law,  for  in  no  other  way  could  their 
personalities  be  verified,  and  the  law,  working  silently  by 
signs  and  wonders,  expressed  the  exact  relation  of  each  star 
and  planet  in  that  solar  system  to  the  central  sun,  and  their 
relations  to  one  another. 

Follow  the  king  to  the  promenade.  "  For  ladies  he  took 
his  hat  off  completely,  but  to  a  greater  or  less  extent;  for 
titled  people  half  off,  holding  it  in  his  hand  or  against  his 
ear  some  instants,  more  or  less  marked;  for  the  nobility  he 
contented  himself  by  putting  his  hand  to  his  hat."  In  this 
instance  a  spectator,  ignorant  of  the  names  and  rank  of 
those  whom  the  king  met,  could  have  discovered  their  re- 
lation to  His  Majesty  by  observing  carefully  the  working 
of  the  law  as  expressed  by  the  royal  hand  and  hat. 

And  as  the  king,  in  conformity  with  the  law,  expressed 
daily  and  hourly  the  exact  relation  of  each  satellite  to  him- 
self, so  they,  moving  in  obedience  to  the  law,  expressed  their 
relations  to  him  and  to  one  another.  There  was  a  form  of 
salutation  for  Monseigneur,  another  for  the  princes  of  the 
blood,  another  for  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  another 
for  the  grand  chamberlain,  another  for  the  first  valet  de 
chamhre  of  the  king.  To  salute  the  grand  huntsman  of 
France  as  one  saluted  the  grand  master  of  the  Wardrobe 
was  to  infringe  the  law. 

221 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Nothing  was  too  great  for  the  law.  Campaigns,  receptions 
of  ambassadors,  state  entries  into  Paris,  fetes,  triumphal 
tours  through  provinces,  all  were  regulated  by  it  with  super- 
natural precision.  And  as  nothing  was  too  great  for  the 
law,  so,  also,  nothing  was  too  small.  At  the  lever,  amid 
the  mechanism  of  the  entrees  of  the  blood  royal,  of  the  great 
officers  of  the  crown,  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  Chamber,  amid 
the  transit  of  the  royal  shirt  from  the  grand  master  to  the 
grand  chamberlain,  from  the  grand  chamberlain  to  Monsei- 
gneur,  and  from  Monseigneur  to  Majesty,  the  law,  unerring 
and  invincible,  placed  the  royal  garters  in  the  hands  of  a 
valet  of  the  Wardrobe,  by  whom  they  w^ere  presented  to  the 
first  valet  of  the  Wardrobe,  who  presented  them  to  the  king ; 
in  no  other  way  could  the  personality  of  the  first  valet  of 
the  Wardrobe  be  verified. 

Observe  the  harmonious  working  of  the  law  when  a  new 
satellite  entered  the  solar  system.  "  The  next  evening  we 
went  to  Versailles,"  says  Saint-Simon  (after  his  marriage), 
"  and  were  received  by  Madame  de  Maintenon  and  the  king. 
On  arriving  at  the  supper-table,  the  king  said  to  the  new 
duchess,  'Madame,  will  you  be  pleased  to  seat  yourself?* 
His  napkin  being  unfolded,  he  saw  all  the  duchesses  and 
princesses  still  standing,  and  rising  in  his  chair,  he  said  to 
Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  *  Madame,  I  have  already  begged 
you  to  be  seated ' ;  and  all  immediately  seated  themselves." 
The  law,  too,  like  that  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  was  unal- 
terable. "  I  have  seen,  at  the  king's  dinner,  Monsieur,  ar- 
riving from  St.  Cloud,  give  the  king  his  napkin  and  remain 
standing.  A  little  while  afterward,  the  king,  seeing  that  he 
did  not  go  away,  asked  him  if  he  would  not  sit  down;  he 
bowed,  and  the  king  ordered  a  seat  to  be  brought  for  him. 
A  stool  was  put  behind  him.  Some  moments  after  the  king 
said,  '  Nay  then,  sit  down,  my  brother.'  Monsieur  bowed 
and  seated  himself  until  the^end  of  the  dinner,  when  he 

222 


Etiquette 

presented  the  napkin."  In  each  of  these  instances,  Madame 
de  Saint-Simon  and  Monsieur  remained  standing,  oblivious 
of  the  first  request  to  be  seated,  until  the  words,  "  Madame, 
I  have  already  begged  you  to  be  seated,"  "  Nay  then,  sit  down, 
my  brother,"  announced  the  perfect  fulfilment  of  the  law. 

Observe,  too,  how  easily  one  could  be  guilty  of  an  infrac- 
tion of  the  law.  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  so  completely 
poised  in  her  orbit  at  the  king's  supper,  created  discord  at  a 
reception  of  ambassadors  in  the  apartments  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne  by  deviating  slightly  from  that  orbit :  "  Ma- 
dame de  Saint-Simon,  feeling  unwell,  and  tired  of  standing, 
seated  herself  upon  the  first  cushion  she  could  find.  It  so 
happened  that  in  the  position  she  thus  occupied  she  had 
taken  precedence  of  Madame  d'Armagnac  by  two  degrees. 
Madame  d'Armagnac,  perceiving  it,  spoke  to  her  upon  the 
subject.  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  who  had  only  placed 
herself  there  for  a  moment,  did  not  reply,  but  went  else- 
where." Here  the  discord  was  slight,  since  the  wandering 
star,  being  but  two  degrees  out  of  her  orbit,  returned  to  it 
at  once.  But  note  the  frightful  discord  produced  when  a 
star,  out  of  her  orbit,  crossed  the  pathway  of  the  sun :  "  The 
ladies  who  were  invited  to  Marly  had  the  privilege  of  din- 
ing with  the  king.  Tables  were  placed  for  them,  and  they 
took  up  positions  according  to  their  rank.  The  non-titled 
ladies  had  also  their  special  place.  It  so  happened  one  day 
that  Madame  de.Torcy,  an  untitled  lady,  placed  herself  above 
the  Duchesse  de  Duras,  who  arrived  at  table  a  moment  after 
her.  Madame  de  Torcy  offered  to  give  up  her  place,  but  as 
it  was  a  little  late,  the  offer  passed  away  in  compliments. 
The  king  entered,  and  put  himself  at  table.  As  soon  as 
he  sat  down,  he  saw  the  place  Madame  de  Torcy  had  taken, 
and  fixed  such  a  serious  and  surprised  look  upon  her  that 
she  again  offered  to  give  up  her  place  to  the  Duchesse  de 
Duras,  but  the  offer  was  again  declined.     All  through  the 

223 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

dinner  the  king  scarcely  ever  took  his  eyes  off  Madame  de 
Torcy,  said  hardly  a  word,  and  bore  a  .look  of  anger  that  ren- 
dered everybody  very  attentive,  and  even  troubled  the  Duch- 
esse  de  Duras.  Upon  rising  from  the  table,  the  king  passed, 
according  to  custom,  into  the  apartments  of  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  followed  by  the  princesses  of  the  blood,  who 
grouped  themselves  around  him  upon  stools ;  the  others,  who 
entered,  kept  at  a  distance.  Almost  before  he  had  seated 
himself  in  his  chair,  he  said  to  Madame  de  Maintenon  that 
he  had  just  been  witness  of  an  act  of  '  incredible  insolence ' 
(that  was  the  term  he  used),  which  had  thrown  him  into 
such  a  rage  that  he  had  been  unable  to  eat;  that  such  an 
enterprise  would  have  been  insupportable  in  a  woman  of 
the  highest  quality,  but  coming,  as  it  did,  from  a  mere  bour- 
geoise,  it  had  so  affected  him  that  ten  times  he  had  been 
upon  the  point  of  making  her  leave  the  table,  and  that  he 
was  only  restrained  by  consideration  for  her  husband.  .  .  . 
He  charged  the  princesses  to  tell  Madame  de  Torcy  to  what 
extent  he  had  found  her  conduct  impertinent.  .  .  .  Torcy 
was  obliged  to  write  him  a  letter,  apologizing  for  the  fault 
of  Madame  de  Torcy,  and  at  this  the  king  grew  content.  It 
may  be  imagined  what  a  sensation  this  adventure  produced 
through  all  the  court."  ^ 

It  may  easily  be  imagined,  and  unless  it  is  imagined,  unless 
one  gains  some  conception  of  the  invincibility  and  omnipo- 
tence of  etiquette  in  the  daily  life  of  the  court,  one  cannot 
understand  the  courtiers  when  they  bring  to  the  discussion  of 
some  trifling  point  of  precedence  an  earnestness  and  an  energy 
worthy  of  a  better  cause. 

^Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  3. 


224 


IV 
THE   COURT 


15 


MADAME   DE   MAINTENON 

AFTER  the  king,  the  chief  personage  at  Versailles 
/\        was  Madame  de  Maintenon.    In  approaching  her 

/  %  presence,  one  almost  hesitates  to  mention  the  fact 
^  Jl^  that  she  was  formerly  known  as  Madame  Scarron, 
fearing  to  find  oneself  in  the  frightful  predicament  of  Racine. 
"  It  happened  one  evening,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  that  the 
king,  talking  with  Racine  upon  the  theater,  in  the  presence 
of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  asked  why  comedy  was  so  much 
out  of  fashion.  Racine  gave  several  reasons  and  concluded 
by  naming  the  chief,  namely,  that  for  want  of  new  pieces 
the  comedians  gave  old  ones,  and  among  others  those  of 
Scarron,  which  were  worth  nothing  and  found  no  favor  with 
anybody.  At  this  the  widow  blushed,  not  for  the  reputa- 
tion of  the  cripple  attacked,  but  at  hearing  his  name  uttered 
in  the  presence  of  his  successor.  The  king  was  also  embar- 
rassed, and  the  unhappy  Racine,  by  the  silence  which  fol- 
lowed, felt  what  a  slip  he  had  made.  He  remained  the  most 
confounded  of  the  three,  without  daring  to  raise  his  eyes 
or  to  open  his  mouth.  This  silence  did  not  terminate  for 
several  moments,  so  heavy  and  profound  was  the  surprise. 
The  end  was  that  the  king  sent  away  Racine,  saying  that  he 
was  going  to  work.  The  poet  never  afterward  recovered 
his  position.  Neither  the  king  nor  Madame  de  Maintenon 
ever  spoke  to  him  again,  or  even  looked  at  him." 

From  this  it  may  be  seen  that  Mme.  la  Marquise  de  Main- 

22y 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

tenon  had  a  past.  She  had  also  a  brother.  "  Her  brother, 
who  was  called  the  Comte  d'Aubigne,  was  of  but  little  worth, 
and  yet  always  spoke  as  though  no  man  were  his  equal,  com- 
plained that  he  had  not  been  made  Marshal  of  France,  some- 
times said  that  he  had  taken  his  baton  in  money,  and  con- 
stantly bullied  Madame  de  Maintenon  because  she  did  not 
make  him  a  duke  and  a  peer.  He  spent  his  time  running 
after  girls  in  the  Tuileries,  always  had  several  on  his  hands, 
and  lived  and  spent  his  money  with  their  families  and  friends 
of  the  same  kidney.  He  was  just  fit  for  a  strait-waistcoat, 
but  comical,  full  of  wit  and  unexpected  repartees;  a  good, 
humorous  fellow,  honest  and  polite,  and  not  too  impertinent 
on  account  of  his  sister's  fortune.  Yet  it  was  a  pleasure  to 
hear  him  talk  of  the  time  of  Scarron  and  the  Hotel  d'Albret, 
and  of  the  gallantries  and  adventures  of  his  sister,  which  he 
contrasted  with  her  present  position  and  devotion.  He  would 
talk  in  this  manner,  not  before  one  or  two,  but  in  a  compro- 
mising manner,  quite  openly  in  the  Tuileries  gardens,  or  in 
the  galleries  of  Versailles,  before  everybody,  and  would  often 
drolly  speak  of  the  king  as  '  the  brother-in-law.'  ...  A 
brother  like  this  was  a  great  annoyance  to  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon." 

But  whatever  scandals  there  may  have  been  in  the  life 
of  Madame  Scarron,  there  were  none  in  the  life  of  Madame 
de  Maintenon.  To  the  court  she  was  the  personification  of 
piety  and  the  touchstone  of  correctness.  Her  brother  must 
have  been  a  very  great  annoyance  to  her. 

The  friendship  which  the  Marquise  de  Montespan  formed 
for  her  proved  to  be  the  foundation  of  her  fortunes.  The 
young  Due  du  Maine  and  Mile,  de  Nantes,  at  that  time  not 
publicly  acknowledged,  were  confided  to  her  care,  and  in 
assuming  the  post  of  governess  of  the  royal  bastards  she  was 
clever  enough  to  insist  that  the  request  should  come  from 
the  father  as  well  as  from  the  mother,  that  she  should  hold 

228 


Madame  de  Maintenon 


the  office  directly  from  the  king.  With  the  money  she  re- 
ceived as  a  recompense  for  the  care  and  devotion  she  gave 
the  Due  du  Maine,  she  bought  the  estate  of  Maintenon  in 
1674,  paying  fifteen  thousand  livres,  and  receiving  from  the 
king  the  title  of  Marquise  de  Maintenon.  But  the  king  dis- 
liked her,  and  she  owed  the  money,  estate,  and  title  to  the 
continued  solicitations  of  Madame  de  Montespan  in  her  be- 
half. When  she  was  sent  to  Cauterets  with  the  Due  du 
Maine,  on  account  of  his  health,  she  wrote  frequently  to 
Madame  de  Montespan.  Madame  de  Montespan  handed 
these  letters  to  Louis  to  read,  that  he  might  learn  how  his 
son  was  progressing,  and  the  king  found  them  so  well  ex- 
pressed and  so  interesting  and  agreeable  that  he  began  to 
regard  the  Marquise  de  Maintenon  in  another  light. 

"  The  ill  humor  of  Madame  de  Montespan,"  says  Saint- 
Simon,  "  finished  the  work.  She  had  a  good  deal  of  that 
quality  and  had  become  accustomed  to  give  it  full  swing. 
The  king  was  the  object  of  it  more  frequently  than  any- 
body. Madame  de  Maintenon  reproached  Madame  de  Mon- 
tespan for  this,  and  thus  advanced  herself  in  the  king's  favor. 
By  degrees  the  king  grew  accustomed  to  speak  sometimes  to 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  to  tell  her  what  he  wished  her  to 
say  to  Madame  de  Montespan,  and  at  last  to  relate  to  her 
the  chagrins  the  latter  caused  him,  and  to  consult  her  there- 
upon. Admitted  thus  into  the  intimate  confidence  of  the 
lover  and  the  mistress,  and  this  by  the  king's  own  doing, 
Madame  de  Maintenon  knew  well  how  to  cultivate  it,  and 
profited  so  well  by  her  industry  that  by  degrees  she  sup- 
planted Madame  de  Montespan,  who  perceived,  too  late,  that 
her  friend  had  become  necessary  to  the  king."  It  was  a  hard 
blow  for  Madame  de  Montespan.  "The  king  arrived  (in 
the  apartments  of  the  dauphine)  ;  I  then  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  him,  not  two  paces  from  me,  before  my  very  eyes, 
saying  witty  and  agreeable  things  to  the  Marquise  de  Main- 


229 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

tenon,  while  he  only  talked  to  me  of  the  rain  and  the  wea- 
ther." 1 

The  crisis  came  soon  after,  when  the  king,  who  was  much 
in  love  with  her,  wished  to  make  her  his  mistress.  She  had 
seen  the  fall  of  La  Valliere  and  the  rise  of  Montespan,  and 
now  Montespan  was  falling.  Madame  de  Maintenon  was  too 
consummate  a  schemer  to  be  caught.  Her  love  for  Louis, 
such  as  it  was,  probably  never  gave  her  a  single  palpitation 
of  the  heart;  she  was  always  too  perfectly  poised  and  too  in- 
fallible. Nor  should  one  infer  that  she  dreamed  then  of  one 
day  succeeding  Marie  Therese.  The  queen  was  in  good 
health  and  bade  fair  to  outlive  Maintenon.  Even  if  Her 
Majesty  died  shortly,  what  prospect  was  there  that  the  pride 
of  the  Grand  Monarch  would  suffer  him  to  contract  such  a 
mesalliance?  Cloaking  herself  in  piety,  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon played  the  coquette;  she  charmed,  she  fascinated,  and 
she  evaded  him;  she  allured  and  she  preached,  for  a  period 
of  six  or  seven  years.  "  His  Majesty  retires  disconsolate," 
she  says  in  one  of  her  letters,  "  but  never  hopeless  " ;  and  in 
another,  "  I  send  him  away  always  distressed,  but  never  de- 
spairing." 2  What  astonishing  skill  and  tact !  But  he  was  not 
asking  her  to  be  his  wife;  he  was  asking  her  to  be  his  mis- 
tress; and  if  her  virtue  and  piety  had  really  been  what  she 
and  many  others  wish  us  to  believe  they  were,  would  she  not 
have  given  him  an  answer  once  and  for  all  that  would  have 
settled  the  matter?  When  Louis  XV  made  a  proposition  of 
the  same  sort  to  Madame  de  Perigord,  Madame  de  Perigord 
instantly  left  the  court.  "  Nothing  is  more  clever  than  irre- 
proachable behavior,"  said  Madame  de  Maintenon  at  a  later 
period.  At  the  time  in  question,  her  behavior,  irreproachable 
and  undeniably  clever,  leads  one  to  doubt  her  sincerity.  If 
up  to  the  summer  of  1683,  when  he  became  free  to  make  her 

^  Memoirs   of   Madame   de   Montespan,  II,  p.  167. 
*  Madame  de  Maintenon  to  Madame  de  Frontenac,  1677. 

230 


Madame  de  Maintenon 


his  wife,  the  king  never  lost  the  hope  of  making  her  his  mis- 
tress, was  it  not  because  she  played  the  false  prude,  almost 
to  the  hour  that  he  married  her  ? 

However  that  may  be,  married  she  was  to  the  King  of 
France  and  Navarre,  secretly  and  at  night  in  the  chapel  of 
Versailles  on  the  12th  of  June,  1684.^  Bontemps,  the  king's 
first  valet  de  chamhre,  prepared  the  altar;  Pere  La  Chaise 
said  mass;  the  Archbishop  of  Paris  read  the  marriage  ser- 
vice; Louvois,  Minister  of  War,  and  Montchevreuil  were  the 
witnesses.  The  archbishop  and  Louvois  both  drew  from  the 
king  a  solemn  promise  that  he  would  never  declare  this  mar- 
riage. There  were  rumors  of  the  marriage  almost  imme- 
diately, but  nobody  at  court  was  certain  for  some  time. 
Nearly  four  years  later,  the  Palatine,  in  a  letter  under  date 
of  April  14,  1688,  writes:  "I  cannot  find  out  whether  the 
king  has  married  Madame  de  Maintenon,  or  not.  Many  peo- 
ple say  she  is  his  wife,  and  that  the  Archbishop  of  Paris 
has  married  them  in  the  presence  of  the  king's  confessor 
and  Maintenon's  brother.  Other  people  say  this  is  not  true, 
and  it  is  impossible  to  find  out  what  the  facts  are." 

While  people  were  thus  discussing  the  matter,  Mme.  la 
Marquise  de  Maintenon  was  installed  in  her  apartments  at 
the  head  of  the  marble  staircase,  opposite  the  Hall  of  the 
King's  Guards,  and  the  first  signs  of  her  greatness  were 
that  she  dropped  at  once  the  title  Marquise,  and  was  called 
always  Madame  de  Maintenon,  that  the  king  in  referring 
to  her  dropped  the  Maintenon,  as  too  trivial,  and  called  her 
simply  Madame,  and  that  her  servants,  in  her  own  apartments 
only,  addressed  her  as  "  Your  Majesty." 

If  in  the  days  of  her  favor  Madame  de  Montespan  had  had 
a  "  haughtiness  in  everything  that  reached  to  the  clouds," 

^  The  date  is  sometimes  given  as    the  matter,  and  he  gives  the  date  as 
January,   1684.     Lavallee   seems   to   June,  1684. 
be  the  most   reliable  authority  on 


231 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

one  can  imagine  what  she  must  have  suffered  when  she  was 
forced  to  pay  her  visit  of  ceremony  to  the  new  wife  of  the 
Grand  Monarch.  "  A  few  days  after  the  marriage,  my  health 
being  somewhat  reestabHshed,  I  went  to  Petit-Bourg;  but 
the  Marechal  de  Vivonne,  his  son  Louis  de  Vivonne,  all  the 
Mortemarts,  all  the  Rochehouarts,  Thianges,  Seignelays, 
and  Blainvilles, — in  a  word,  counts,  marquises,  barons,  and 
duchesses, — came  to  find  me  and  attack  me  in  my  desert, 
in  order  to  represent  to  me  that  since  Madame  de  Maintenon 
was  now  the  wife  of  the  king,  I  owed  her  my  homage  and  my 
respectful  compliments.  '  The  whole  family  has  done  so,' 
said  these  cruel  relations ;  '  you  only  have  not  yet  fulfilled  this 
duty.  You  must  do  it,  in  God's  name.  She  has  neither  airs 
nor  hauteur;  you  will  be  marvelously  well  received.  Your 
resistance  would  compromise  us  all.'  Not  desiring  to  harm 
or  displease  my  family,  and  wishing  above  all  to  reinstate 
myself  somewhat  in  the  king's  mind,  I  resolutely  prepared 
for  this  distressing  journey,  and  God  gave  me  the  necessary 
strength  to  execute  it.  I  appeared  in  a  long  robe  of  gold 
and  silver  before  the  new  wife  of  the  monarch.  The  king, 
who  was  sitting  at  a  table,  rose  for  a  moment  and  encouraged 
me  by  his  greeting.  I  made  the  three  pauses  and  the  three 
reverences  as  I  gradually  approached  Madame  de  Maintenon, 
who  occupied  a  large  and  rich  arm-chair  of  brocade.  She 
did  not  rise ;  etiquette  forbade  it,  and  principally  the  presence 
of  the  king.  Her  complexion,  ordinarily  pale,  and  with  a 
very  slight  tone  of  pink,  was  animated  suddenly,  and  took 
all  the  colors  of  the  rose.  She  made  me  a  sign  to  seat  myself 
on  a  stool,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  her  amiable  gaze  apolo- 
gized to  me.  She  spoke  to  me  of  Petit-Bourg,  of  the  waters 
of  Bourbon,  of  her  country  place,  of  my  children,  and  said 
to  me,  smiling,  *  I  am  going  to  confide  in  you.  M.  le  Prince 
has  already  asked  Mile,  de  Nantes  for  his  grandson,  M.  le 
Due  de  Bourbon,  and  His  Highness  promises  us  his  grand- 

232 


Frangoise  Athenais  dc  Rochechouart,  IMarquise  de  IMoutespau 


Madame  de  Maintenon 


daughter  for  our  Due  du  Maine.  Two  or  three  years  more, 
and  we  shall  see  all  that.'  "  It  must  have  been  extremely 
gratifying  to  Madame  de  Montespan  to  be  told  in  confidence 
what  the  future  of  her  children  was  to  be.  In  the  days  of 
her  favor  she  had  loyally  helped  and  cherished  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  praised  her  w^hen  the  king  disparaged  her,  re- 
tained her  when  the  king  wished  to  send  her  away,  and  made 
her  the  governess  of  those  very  children  whom  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  with  her  "  our  Due  du  Maine,"  now  so  coolly 
appropriated  to  the  king  and  herself.  The  poor  woman  from 
her  stool  could  contemplate  her  work  in  the  arm-chair  of 
brocade,  where  sat  her  false  friend,  la  Toute-Puissante. 
"  After  half  an  hour  spent  thus,  I  rose  from  this  uncomfort- 
able stool  and  made  my  farewell  reverences.  Madame  de 
,  Maintenon,  profiting  by  the  king's  having  leaned  over  to 
write,  rose  five  or  six  inches  in  her  chair,  and  said  to  me 
these  words :  '  Do  not  let  us  cease  to  love  one  another,  I  im- 
plore you.'  I  came  out  from  Madame  de  Maintenon  by  the 
door  of  mirrors  which  leads  to  the  great  gallery.  There 
was  much  company  there  at  the  moment.  The  Prince  de 
Salm  came  to  meet  me  and  said,  '  You  are  flushed,  and  I 
can  perfectly  well  understand  why.'  He  pressed  my  hand  af- 
fectionately. In  all  the  salons  they  were  eager  to  see  me 
pass.  Some  courageous  persons  even  came  within  touch  of 
my  fan,  and  all  were  more  or  less  pleased  with  my  downfall. 
I  had  seen  all  these  figures  at  my  feet,  and  almost  all  were 
under  obligations  to  me."  ^ 

In  the  Due  de  Saint-Simon's  wonderful  gallery  there  is 
hardly  a  portrait  with  which  he  has  taken  more  pains  than 
that  of  Madame  de  Maintenon.  "  Madame  de  Maintenon 
was  a  woman  of  much  wit,  which  the  good  company,  in 
which  she  had  at  first  been  merely  tolerated,  but  in  which 
she  soon  shone,  had  polished.  The  various  positions  she 
^  Memoirs  of  Madame  de  Montespan,  II,  p.  349. 

233 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

had  held  had  rendered  her  flattering,  insinuating,  com- 
plaisant, always  seeking  to  please.  The  need  she  had  of  in- 
trigues, those  she  had  seen  of  all  kinds,  and  been  mixed  up 
in  for  herself  and  for  others,  had  given  her  the  taste,  the  abil- 
ity, and  the  habit  of  them.  Incomparable  grace,  an  easy 
manner,  and  yet  measured  and  respectful,  which  in  conse- 
quence of  her  long  obscurity  had  become  natural  to  her, 
marvelously  aided  her  talents;  her  language  was  gentle,  ex- 
act, well  expressed,  and  naturally  eloquent  and  brief.  Her 
best  time,  for  she  was  three  or  four  years  older  than  the 
king,  had  been  the  dainty  phrase  period,  the  superfine  gal- 
lantry days,  and  it  had  so  influenced  her  that  she  always 
retained  evidences  of  it.  She  put  on  afterward  an  air  of 
importance,  but  this  gradually  gave  place  to  one  of  devout- 
ness  that  she  wore  admirably.  She  was  not  absolutely  false 
by  disposition,  but  necessity  had  made  her  so,  and  her  natural 
flightiness  made  her  appear  twice  as  false  as  she  was.  Her 
flightiness  or  inconstancy  was  of  the  most  dangerous  kind. 
With  the  exception  of  some  of  her  old  friends,  to  whom  she 
had  good  reasons  for  remaining  faithful,  she  favored  people 
one  moment  only  to  cast  them  off  the  next.  You  were  ad- 
mitted to  an  audience  with  her,  for  instance,  you  pleased 
her  in  some  manner,  and  forthwith  she  unbosomed  herself 
to  you  as  though  you  had  known  her  from  childhood.  At 
the  second  audience  you  found  her  dry,  laconic,  cold.  You 
racked  your  brains  to  discover  the  cause  of  this  change. 
Mere  loss  of  time!  Flightiness  was  the  sole  reason  of  it. 
The  distress  and  poverty  in  which  she  had  so  long  lived 
had  narrowed  her  mind  and  abased  her  heart  and  sentiments. 
Her  feelings  and  thoughts  were  so  circumscribed  that  she 
was  in  truth  always  inferior  to  what  Madame  Scarron  should 
have  been,  and  in  everything  and  everywhere  she  found  her- 
self such.  Nothing  was  more  repelling  than  this  meanness, 
joined  to  a  situation  so  radiant. 

234 


Madame  de  Maintenon 


"  Devoutness  was  her  strong  point;  by  that  she  governed 
and  held  her  place.  .  .  .  The  profound  ignorance  of  religion 
in  which  the  king  had  been  educated,  and  kept  all  his  life,  ren- 
dered him  from  the  first  an  easy  prey  to  the  Jesuits.  He  be- 
came even  more  so  with  years,  when  he  grew  devout.  Religion 
became  his  weak  point.  In  this  state  it  was  easy  to  persuade 
him  that  a  decisive  and  tremendous  blow  struck  against  the 
Protestants  would  give  his  name  more  grandeur  than  any 
of  his  ancestors  had  acquired,  besides  strengthening  his 
power  and  increasing  his  authority.  Madame  de  Maintenon 
was  one  of  those  who  did  most  to  make  him  believe  this. 

"  It  must  not  be  imagined  that  in  order  to  maintain  her 
position  Madame  de  Maintenon  had  no  need  of  address ;  her 
reign,  on  the  contrary,  was  only  one  continual  intrigue.  Her 
mornings,  which  she  commenced  very  early,  were  occupied 
with  obscure  audiences  for  charitable  or  spiritual  affairs. 
Pretty  often  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  or  earlier,  she 
went  to  some  minister;  the  ministers  of  war,  above  all  those 
of  finance,  were  those  with  whom  she  had  most  business. 
Ordinarily,  as  soon  as  she  rose,  she  went  to  St.  Cyr,  dined 
in  her  apartment  there  alone,  or  with  some  favorite  of  the 
house,  gave  as  few  audiences  as  possible,  ruled  over  the  ar- 
rangements of  the  establishment,  meddled  with  the  affairs 
of  convents,  read  and  replied  to  letters,  received  information 
and  letters  from  her  spies,  and  returned  to  Versailles  just 
as  the  king  was  ready  to  enter  her  apartments.  When  with 
the  king  in  her  own  room,  they  each  occupied  an  arm-chair, 
with  a  table  between  them,  at  either  side  of  the  fireplace, 
hers  toward  the  bed,  the  king's  with  its  back  to  the  wall 
where  was  the  door  of  the  antechamber;  two  stools  were 
before  the  table,  one  for  the  minister  who  came  to  work, 
the  other  for  his  papers.  During  the  work  Madame  de 
Maintenon  read  or  worked  at  tapestry.  She  heard  all  that 
passed  between  the  king  and  his  minister,  for  they  spoke  out 


235 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

loud.  Rarely  did  she  say  anything,  or,  if  so,  it  was  of  no 
moment.  The  king  often  asked  her  opinion;  then  she  re- 
phed  with  great  discretion.  Never  did  she  appear  to  lay 
stress  on  anything,  still  less  to  interest  herself  for  anybody; 
but  she  had  an  understanding  with  the  minister,  who  did  not 
dare  to  oppose  her  in  private,  still  less  to  trip  in  her  presence. 
When  some  favor  or  some  post  was  to  be  granted,  the  mat- 
ter was  arranged  between  them  beforehand;  and  this  it  was 
that  sometimes  delayed  her,  without  the  king  or  anybody 
knowing  the  cause.  She  would  send  word  to  the  minister 
that  she  wished  to  speak  with  him.  He  did  not  dare  to  bring 
anything  forward  until  he  had  received  her  orders,  until  the 
revolving  mechanism  of  each  day  had  given  them  the  leisure 
to  confer  together.  That  done,  the  minister  proposed  and 
showed  a  list.  If  by  chance  the  king  stopped  at  the  name 
Madame  de  Maintenon  wished,  the  minister  stopped  too,  and 
went  no  further.  If  the  king  stopped  at  some  other,  the 
minister  proposed  that  he  should  look  at  those  which  were 
also  fitting,  allowed  the  king  leisure  to  make  his  observations, 
and  profited  by  them  to  exclude  the  people  who  were  not 
wanted.  Rarely  did  he  propose  expressly  the  name  to  which 
he  wished  to  come,  but  always  suggested  several  that  he  tried 
to  balance  against  each  other,  so  as  to  embarrass  the  king 
in  his  choice.  Then  the  king  asked  the  minister's  opinion, 
and  the  minister,  after  touching  upon  other  names,  fixed 
upon  the  one  he  had  selected.  The  king  asked  Madame  de 
Maintenon  what  she  thought.  She  smiled,  shammed  inca- 
pacity, said  a  word  upon  some  other  name,  then  returned, 
if  she  had  not  fixed  herself  there  at  first,  to  that  which  the 
minister  had  proposed;  so  that  three  fourths  of  the  favors 
and  opportunities  which  passed  through  the  hands  of  the 
ministers  in  her  apartments  were  disposed  of  by  her,  with- 
out the  king's  having  the  least  suspicion.  Yet  the  king  was 
constantly  on  his  guard,  not  only  against  Madame  de  Main- 

236 


Madame  de  Maintenon 


tenon,  but  against  his  ministers  also.  Many  a  time  it  hap- 
pened that  when  sufficient  care  had  not  been  taken,  and  he 
perceived  that  a  minister  or  a  general  wished  to  favor  a 
relative  or  protege  of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  he  firmly  op- 
posed the  appointment  on  that  account  alone,  and  the  remarks 
he  uttered  thereupon  made  Madame  de  Maintenon  very  timid 
and  very  measured  when  she  wished  openly  to  ask  a  favor. 
By  these  particulars  it  will  be  seen  that  this  clever  woman 
did  nearly  all  she  wished,  but  not  always  when  or  how  she 
wished. 

"  Toward  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  two  waiting-women 
came  to  undress  her.  Immediately  afterward  her  mdltre 
d'hotel  brought  her  supper,  soup  or  something  light.  As 
soon  as  she  had  finished  her  meal,  her  women  put  her  to  bed, 
and  meanwhile  the  king  and  his  minister  did  not  cease  work- 
ing or  speak  lower.  This  done,  ten  o'clock  had  arrived ;  the 
curtains  of  Madame  de  Maintenon's  bed  were  drawn,  and  the 
king,  after  saying  good  night  to  her,  went  to  supper." 

In  her  new  position  Madame  de  Maintenon  found  both 
Monsieur  and  Monseigneur  hostile  to  her.  Monseigneur,  how- 
ever, was  too  dutiful  a  son  to  refuse  to  pay  his  court.  Mon- 
sieur came  as  seldom  as  he  could ;  "  it  was  not  her  success 
that  annoyed  him,  but  simply  the  idea  that  Madame  Scarron 
had  become  his  sister-in-law ;  that  was  insupportable  to  him." 
Madame,  his  wife,  could  not  endure  her,  and,  in  her  turn, 
Madame  de  Maintenon  did  all  she  could  to  prejudice  the  king 
against  the  Palatine.  This  attitude  of  the  royal  family  was 
natural  enough,  and  yet  the  king  might  have  done  worse 
than  marry  Madame  de  Maintenon. 

He  secured  for  his  wife  a  very  beautiful  and  imposing 
woman,  who  possessed  "  incomparable  grace."  Madame  de 
Montespan  herself  testifies  to  the  personal  charm  of  her  false 
friend :  "  Madame  de  Maintenon  was  already  forty-four  years 
old,  and  only  appeared  to  be  thirty.     This  freshness,  that  she 


^Z7 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

owed  either  to  painstaking  care  or  to  her  happy  and  quite 
peculiar  constitution,  gave  her  that  air  of  youth  which  fas- 
cinated the  eyes  of  the  courtiers  and  of  the  king."  She  was 
forty-nine  when  she  married  Louis,  and  probably  appeared 
about  thirty-five.  She  had  wit  and  intellect  and  tact,  and  she 
was  serenity  itself.  "For  twenty-six  years,"  said  she  (at 
a  later  period),  "I  never  displayed  the  slightest  impatience 
at  any  time."  With  her  gracious  bearing  and  her  calm,  even 
temper,  she  must  have  seemed  to  a  king  of  forty-six,  who 
had  buried  his  queen  and  cast  off  his  mistresses,  the  ideal 
wife  for  his  old  age.  Then,  too,  she  was  pious  and  devout, 
she  wished  to  withdraw  the  king  from  the  world  and  give 
him  to  God;  she  had  no  ambitions,  she  desired  to  meddle 
in  nothing,  she  was  grateful  when  her  husband  took  her  into 
his  confidence,  but  she  longed  only  to  save  his  soul.  It  seemed 
almost  too  wonderful  to  be  true.     It  was  not  true. 

The  one  genuine  thing  about  Madame  de  Maintenon  was 
her  personal  beauty;  that  she  did  not  owe  to  art.  Under 
the  guise  of  humility  and  nothingness  she  was  devoured  by 
pride  and  ambition;  she  labored  unceasingly  to  get  herself 
declared  Queen  of  France;  she  meddled  with  everything  and 
wished  to  rule  in  everything;  she  placed  herself  in  the  hands 
of  the  Jesuits  and  worked  with  all  her  might  to  bring  about 
the  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes ;  she  seized  on  religion 
to  elevate  herself,  and  assumed  toward  the  court  a  position 
of  papal  infallibility— what  she  said  was  right  to  do,  was 
right,  and  what  she  said  was  wrong,  was  wrong;  she  filled 
the  king  with  all  sorts  of  scruples  that  gave  her  a  tighter 
grip;  she  manceuvered  to  have  him  work  with  his  ministers 
in  her  apartments,  that  she  might  know  all  that  was  being 
done ;  she  tricked  him  before  his  very  eyes,  and  kept  the  min- 
isters under  her  thumb ;  she  was  frightfully  vindictive,  never 
forgot  or  forgave  any  one  who  crossed  her,  and  crushed  those 
who  stood  in  her  way,  as  fast  as  she  could,  without  mercy; 

238 


Madame  de  Maintenon 


she  kept  everybody  gravitating  about  her  apartments;  and 
yet  she  was  always  telling  her  girls  and  women  at  St.  Cyr 
that  she  was  nobody  and  had  nothing,  that  she  "  yearned  after 
her  obscurity,"  and  that  she  needed  sympathy  in  her  hard 
lot. 

She  strikes  that  note  in  the  following  letter  to  Madame  de 
Glapion,  dame  de  St.  Cyr:  "  I  have  often  told  you  that  the 
only  time  I  can  take  for  my  prayers  and  the  mass  is  when 
other  people  sleep,  for  when  people  once  begin  to  enter  my 
room,  I  am  not  my  own  mistress,  I  have  not  an  instant  to  my- 
self. They  begin  to  come  in  about  half-past  seven  in  the 
morning.  First  is  Marechal ;  ^  he  has  no  sooner  gone  than 
M.  Fagon  ^  enters ;  he  is  followed  by  M.  Bloin,^  or  some  one 
else  sent  to  inquire  how  I  am.  Sometimes  I  have  press- 
ing letters  to  write  which  I  must  get  in  here.  Next  come 
persons  of  greater  consequence :  one  day,  M.  de  Chamillart ; 
another,  the  archbishop ;  to-day,  a  general  of  the  army  on  the 
point  of  departure ;  to-morrow,  an  audience  that  I  must  give, 
having  been  demanded  under  such  circumstances  that  I  can- 
not defer  it.  M.  le  Due  du  Maine  waited  in  my  antechamber 
the  other  day  until  M.  de  Chamillart  had  finished.  When  he 
went  out,  M.  du  Maine  came  in,  and  kept  me  until  the  king 
arrived;  for  there  is  a  little  etiquette  in  this,  that  no  one 
leaves  me  till  some  one  of  higher  rank  enters  and  sends  them 
away.  When  the  king  comes,  they  all  have  to  go.  The  king 
stays  till  he  goes  to  mass.  I  do  not  know  if  you  have  ob- 
served that  all  this  time  I  am  not  yet  dressed.  I  still  have  my 
nightcap  on,  but  my  room  by  this  time  is  like  a  church,  a  per- 
petual procession  is  going  on;  everybody  passes  through  it; 
the  comings  and  goings  are  endless.  The  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne  comes  with  a  number  of  ladies,  and  there  they 
stay  while  I  eat  my  dinner.     Around  me  stand  a  circle  of 

*  The  king's  surgeon.  '  The  king's  physician. 

'  The  king's  first  valet  de  chambre. 


239 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

ladies,  so  that  I  cannot  even  ask  for  something  to  drink.  I 
turn  to  them  sometimes  and  say,  *  This  is  a  great  honor  for 
me,  but  I  would  like  to  have  a  footman.'  With  that,  each  of 
them  wants  to  serve  me,  and  hastens  to  bring  me  what  I  want, 
but  this  is  only  another  sort  of  embarrassment  and  annoyance 
to  me.  At  last  they  go  off  to  dine  themselves ;  for  my  dinner 
is  at  twelve  o'clock  with  Madame  d'Heudicourt  and  Madame 
de  Dangeau,  who  are  invalids.  Here  I  am  at  last  alone  with 
them;  every  one  else  has  gone.  I  might  amuse  myself  now 
for  a  moment  with  a  game  at  backgammon,  but  usually  Mon- 
seigneur  takes  this  time  to  come  and  see  me,  because  on  some 
days  he  does  not  dine,  and  on  other  days  he  has  dined  early 
and  so  comes  after  the  others.  He  is  the  hardest  man  in  the 
world  to  talk  with,  for  he  never  says  a  word.  I  must  try  to 
entertain  him  because  I  am  in  my  own  apartment.  If  I  were 
elsewhere,  I  could  lean  back  in  my  chair  and  say  nothing  if  I 
chose,  but  now  I  must  manage  to  find  something  to  say,  and 
that  is  not  very  enlivening.  When  the  king  returns  from 
hunting,  he  comes  to  me ;  then  my  door  is  closed,  and  no  one 
enters.  Here  I  am  then  alone  with  him.  I  must  bear  his 
troubles,  if  he  has  any,  his  sadness,  his  nervous  dejection; 
sometimes  he  bursts  into  tears  which  he  cannot  control,  or  else 
he  complains  of  illness.  Then  a  minister  comes,  and  the  king 
works  with  him.  While  the  king  continues  to  work,  I  sup, 
but  it  is  not  once  in  two  months  that  I  can  do  so  at  my  ease. 
I  feel  that  the  king  has  almost  finished  with  the  minister; 
sometimes  he  wants  to  show  me  something,  so  that  I  am  al- 
ways hurried.  The  only  thing  I  can  do  is  to  eat  very  fast, 
and  I  am  often  oppressed  by  it.  I  have  been  about  since  six 
in  the  morning,  and  have  not  breathed  freely  the  whole  day. 
I  am  overcome  with  weariness.  Sometimes  the  king  per- 
ceives it,  and  says,  'You  are  very  tired,  are  you  not?  You 
ought  to  go  to  bed.'  So  I  go  to  bed.  My  women  come  and 
undress  me,  but  I  feel  that  the  king  wants  to  talk  with  me,  and 

240 


Madame  de  Maintenon 


is  waiting  till  they  go,  or  some  minister  still  remains,  and  I 
fear  my  women  will  hear  what  he  says.  What  can  I  do?  I 
hurry,  I  hurry,  so  that  I  almost  faint,  and  you  must  know 
that  all  my  life  I  have  hated  to  be  hurried.  At  last  I  am  in 
bed.  I  send  away  my  women.  The  king  approaches,  and 
sits  down  by  my  pillow.  What  can  I  do  then  ?  I  am  in  bed, 
but  I  have  need  of  many  things ;  mine  is  not  a  glorified  body 
without  wants.  There  is  no  one  there  whom  I  can  ask  for 
what  I  need,  not  a  single  woman.  It  is  not  because  I  could 
not  have  them,  for  the  king  is  full  of  kindness,  and  if  he 
thought  I  wanted  one  woman,  he  would  endure  ten.  But  it 
never  comes  into  his  head  that  I  am  constraining  myself. 
He  believes  that  if  I  show  no  wants,  I  have  none." 

This  letter  probably  rendered  Madame  de  Glapion  quite 
contented  with  the  quiet  life  of  St.  Cyr,  and  not  at  all  envious 
of  Madame  de  Maintenon  in  her  splendid  apartments  at  Ver- 
sailles. It  contains  a  good  deal  of  exaggeration  and  false 
coloring.  Madame  de  Maintenon  left  nothing  undone  to 
keep  the  king,  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  the  Due  de  Bour- 
gogne,  the  Due  du  Maine,  and  the  princesses  in  her  apart- 
ments as  much  as  possible,  that  she  might  know  all  that  was 
going  on,  and  have  in  hand  every  scrap  of  information  needed 
for  her  back-stairs  diplomacy.  This  of  course  imposed  on 
her  a  heavy  burden,  and  undoubtedly  the  etiquette  was  very 
fatiguing.  As  she  grew  older,  and  her  hope  of  being  de- 
clared Queen  of  France  vanished,  her  physical  weariness  was 
stronger  than  any  other  emotion.  But  before  that  time  came, 
her  pet  pose  was  humility  and  nothingness. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  St.  Cyr.  It  was  an  institution 
in  which  perpetual  hosannas  were  raised  to  the  name  of 
Maintenon.  The  idea  of  founding  a  school  where  the  daugh- 
ters of  nobles  who  were  poor  could  be  educated  at  the  expense 
of  the  state  was  a  good  one,  and  does  Madame  de  Maintenon 
credit.     She  gained  largely  by  it,  however.     It  gave  her  a 

1^  241 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

place  where  she  could  carry  out  her  passion  for  directing  the 
Hves  of  the  young,  where  she  could  create  her  own  atmo- 
sphere, and  to  which  she  could  retire  in  opulence  if  she  lost 
the  king.  "  The  establishment  of  St.  Cyr,"  says  Saint- 
Simon,  "  which  had  more  than  four  hundred  thousand  livres' 
yearly  income,  and  much  money  in  reserve,  was  obliged  by 
the  rules  which  founded  it  to  receive  Madame  de  Maintenon, 
if  she  wished  to  retire  there ;  to  obey  her  in  all  things  as  the 
absolute  and  sole  superior;  to  keep  her  and  everybody  con- 
nected with  her,  her  domestics,  her  equipages,  her  table, 
at  the  expense  of  the  house."  As  St.  Cyr  was  founded 
in  the  year  which  followed  her  marriage  with  the  king, 
it  may  be  seen  that  Madame  de  Maintenon  had  an  eye  for 
the  future. 

"  The  declaration  of  her  marriage  was  always  her  most 
ardent  desire.  She  wished  above  all  things  to  be  proclaimed 
queen,  and  never  lost  sight  of  the  idea.  Once  she  was  near 
indeed  to  seeing  it  gratified.  The  king  had  actually  given 
her  his  word  that  she  should  be  declared,  and  the  ceremony 
was  about  to  take  place.  But  it  was  postponed,  and  forever,, 
by  the  representations  of  Louvois  to  the  king.  .  .  .  Louvois 
had  gained  the  confidence  of  the  king  to  such  an  extent  that 
he  had  been  one  of  the  two  witnesses  of  the  marriage  of  His 
Majesty  with  Madame  de  Maintenon.  He  had  the  courage 
to  show  he  was  worthy  of  this  confidence  by  representing  to 
the  king  the  ignominy  of  declaring  that  marriage,  and  drew 
from  him  his  word  that  never  in  his  life  would  he  do  so. 
Several  years  afterward,  Louvois,  who  took  care  to  be  well 
informed  of  all  that  passed  in  the  palace,  found  out  that 
Madame  de  Maintenon  had  been  scheming  again  in  order  to 
be  declared  queen,  that  the  king  had  had  the  weakness  to 
promise  that  she  should  be.  and  that  the  declaration  was  about 
to  be  made.  He  put  some  papers  in  his  hand,  and  went  at 
once  to  the  king,  who  was  in  his  private  apartment.     Seeing 

242 


•vrx 


/ 

If    , 

Frangoisc  d'Aubigne.  ]\larquisc  de  Maintenon 


Madame  de  Maintenon 


Louvois  at  an  unexpected  hour,  the  king  asked  him  what 
brought  him  there.  *  Something  pressing  and  important,' 
replied  Louvois,  with  a  sad  manner  that  astonished  the  king, 
and  induced  him  to  command  the  valets  present  to  quit  the 
room.  They  went  away,  in  fact,  but  left  the  door  open,  so 
that  they  could  hear  all,  and  see  all,  too,  by  the  glass.  This 
was  the  great  danger  of  the  cabinets.  The  valets  being  gone, 
Louvois  did  not  dissimulate  from  the  king  his  mission.  Sur- 
prised at  being  discovered,  the  king  tried  to  shuffle  out  of  the 
matter,  and,  pressed  by  his  minister,  began  to  move  so  as  to 
gain  the  other  cabinet  where  the  valets  were,  and  thus  deliver 
himself.  But  Louvois,  who  perceived  what  the  king  was 
about,  threw  himself  on  his  knees  and  stopped  him,  drew 
from  his  side  a  little  sword  he  wore,  presented  the  handle  to 
the  king,  and  prayed  him  to  kill  him  on  the  spot  if  he  would 
persist  in  declaring  his  marriage,  in  breaking  his  word,  and 
in  covering  himself  in  the  eyes  of  Europe  with  ignominy. 
The  king  stamped,  fumed,  and  told  Louvois  to  let  him  go. 
But  Louvois  squeezed  him  tighter  by  the  legs  for  fear  he 
would  escape,  represented  to  him  the  shame  of  what  he  had 
decided  on  doing ;  in  a  word,  succeeded  so  well  that  he  drew 
for  the  second  time  from  the  king  a  promise  that  the  marriage 
should  never  be  declared.  Madame  de  Maintenon,  mean- 
while, expected  every  moment  to  be  proclaimed  queen.  At 
the  end  of  some  days,  disturbed  by  the  silence  of  the  king, 
she  ventured  to  touch  upon  the  subject.  The  embarrassment 
she  caused  the  king  much  troubled  her.  He  softened  the 
affair  as  much  as  he  could,  but  finished  by  begging  her  to 
think  no  more  of  being  declared,  and  never  to  speak  of  it  to 
him  again.  After  the  first  shock  that  the  loss  of  her  hopes 
caused  her,  she  sought  to  find  out  to  whom  she  was  beholden 
for  it.  She  soon  learned  the  truth,  and  it  is  not  surprising 
that  she  swore  to  obtain  Louvois's  disgrace,  and  never  ceased 
to  work  at  it  until  successful.     She  waited  her  opportunity, 


243 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

and  undermined  her  enemy  at  leisure,   availing  herself  of 
every  occasion  to  make  him  odious  to  the  king."  ^ 

Thus  in  spite  of  her  great  success,  and  her  astonishing 
influence  over  the  Grand  Monarch,  Madame  de  Maintenon 
never  realized  her  chief  ambition  of  being  proclaimed  Queen 
of  France.  Her  position,  however,  was  none  the  less  com- 
manding, and  the  king,  who  loved  her  more  than  she  loved 
him,  treated  her  always  in  public  with  marked  deference. 
Nothing  better  illustrates  that  deference  than  the  famous 
scene  at  the  camp  of  Compiegne  (1698)  :  "  The  king  wished 
to  show  the  court  all  the  manceuvers  of  war;  the  siege  of 
Compiegne  was  therefore  undertaken,  according  to  due  form, 
with  lines,  trenches,  batteries,  mines,  etc.  On  Saturday,  the 
13th  of  September,  the  assault  took  place.  To  witness  it  the 
king,  Madame  de  Maintenon,  all  the  ladies  of  the  court,  and  a 
number  of  gentlemen  stationed  themselves  upon  an  old  ram- 
part from  which  the  plain  and  all  the  dispositions  of  the 
troops  could  be  seen.  I  was  in  the  half-circle  very  close  to 
the  king.  It  was  the  most  beautiful  sight  that  can  be 
imagined,  to  see  all  that  army,  and  the  prodigious  number  of 
spectators  on  horse  and  foot,  and  that  game  of  attack  and 
defense  so  cleverly  conducted.  But  a  spectacle  of  another 
sort,  that  I  could  paint  forty  years  hence  as  well  as  to-day,  so 
strongly  did  it  strike  me,  w^as  that  which  from  the  summit  of 
this  rampart  the  king  gave  to  all  his  army,  and  to  the  innu- 
merable crowd  of  spectators  of  all  kinds  in  the  plain  below. 
Madame  de  Maintenon  faced  the  plain  and  the  troops  in  her 
sedan-chair,  alone,  between  its  three  windows  drawn  up,  her 
porters  having  retired  to  a  distance.  On  the  left  pole  in 
front  sat  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne ;  and  on  the  same 
side,  standing  in  a  semicircle,  were  Mme.  la  Duchesse,  Mme. 
la  Princesse  de  Conti,  and  all  the  ladies,  and  behind  them, 
again,  many  men.  At  the  right  window  of  the  sedan-chair 
*  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  6. 
244 


Madame  de  Maintenon 


stood  the  king,  and  a  little  in  the  rear  a  semicircle  of  the  most 
distinguished  men  of  the  court.  The  king  was  nearly  always 
uncovered,  and  every  now  and  then  stooped  to  speak  to 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  to  explain  to  her  what  she  saw,  and 
the  reason  for  each  movement.  Each  time  that  he  did  so  she 
was  obliging  enough  to  open  the  window  four  or  five  inches, 
but  never  half-way,  for  I  noticed  particularly,  and  I  admit 
that  I  was  more  attentive  to  this  spectacle  than  to  that  of  the 
troops.  Sometimes  she  opened  of  her  own  accord  to  ask 
some  question  of  him,  but  generally  it  was  he  who,  without 
waiting  for  her,  stooped  down  to  instruct  her  of  what  was 
passing ;  and  sometimes,  if  she  did  not  notice  him,  he  tapped 
at  the  glass  to  make  her  open  it.  He  never  spoke,  save  to 
her,  except  when  he  gave  a  few  brief  orders,  or  just  answered 
Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  who  wanted  to  make  him 
speak,  and  with  whom  Madame  de  Maintenon  carried  on  a 
conversation  by  signs,  without  opening  the  front  window, 
through  which  the  young  duchess  screamed  to  her  from  time 
to  time.  I  watched  the  countenance  of  every  one  carefully ; 
all  expressed  surprise  tempered  with  prudence  and  shame, 
that  was,  as  it  were,  ashamed  of  itself;  every  one  behind  the 
chair  and  in  the  semicircle  watched  this  scene  more  than  what 
was  going  on  in  the  army.  The  king  often  put  his  hat  on 
the  top  of  the  chair  in  order  to  get  his  head  in  to  speak,  and 
this  continual  exercise  tired  his  loins  very  much.  Monsei- 
gneur  was  on  horseback  in  the  plain  with  the  young  princes. 
It  was  about  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  weather 
was  as  brilliant  as  could  be  desired.  .  .  .  Toward  the  mo- 
ment of  the  capitulation,  Madame  de  Maintenon  apparently 
asked  permission  to  go  away,  for  the  king  cried,  '  The  chair- 
men of  Madame ! '  They  came  and  took  her  away ;  in  less 
than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  afterward  the  king  retired  also,  and 
nearly  everybody  else.  There  was  much  interchange  of 
glances,  nudging  with  elbows,  and  then  whisperings  in  the 


245 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

ear.  Everybody  was  full  of  what  had  taken  place  on  the 
rampart  between  the  king  and  Madame  de  Maintenon,  Even 
the  soldiers  asked  what  meant  that  sedan-chair,  and  the  king 
stooping  every  moment  to  put  his  head  inside  of  it.  It  be- 
came necessary  gently  to  silence  these  questions  of  the  troops. 
What  effect  this  sight  had  upon  the  foreigners  present,  and 
what  they  said  of  it,  may  be  imagined.  All  over  Europe  it 
was  as  much  talked  of  as  the  camp  of  Compiegne  itself."  ^ 

According  to  her  lights,  and  his,  Madame  de  Maintenon 
achieved  the  king's  salvation.  But  at  what  a  frightful  cost! 
"The  king,"  she  had  written  in  1681,  "begins  to  think  se- 
riously of  his  salvation  and  that  of  his  subjects.  If  God  pre- 
serves him  to  us,  there  will  be  no  longer  but  one  religion  in 
the  kingdom.  This  is  the  feeling  of  M.  de  Louvois,  and  I 
believe  him  more  willingly  upon  the  subject  than  M.  de  Col- 
bert, who  thinks  only  of  his  finances  and  scarcely  ever  of  his 
religion."  A  few  years  later,  she  would  not  have  believed 
Louvois  under  oath  on  any  subject.  Poor  Colbert!  Work- 
ing early  and  late  to  develop  the  resources  of  France,  and  per- 
forming the  labors  of  Hercules  in  his  endeavor  to  maintain 
some  proportion  between  the  receipts  and  expenditures  of  a 
Sun  King,  what  time  had  he  to  think  of  anything  but 
finances?  To  France  he  was  worth  a  wilderness  of  Mainte- 
nons.  For  Maintenon  was  fatal  to  France.  The  havoc 
wrought  by  a  wife  who  achieved  religious  intolerance  was  far 
more  serious  than  the  scandal  of  a  mistress  who  gave  fetes. 
"  The  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  without  the  slight- 
est pretext  or  necessity,  was  the  fruit  of  a  frightful  plot  in 
which  the  new  wife  of  the  king  was  one  of  the  chief  conspira- 
tors, and  which  depopulated  a  quarter  of  the  realm,  ruined  its 
commerce,  weakened  it  in  every  direction,  tore  in  pieces  a 
world  of  families,  armed  relatives  against  relatives,  banished 
French  manufactures  to  foreign  lands  and  enabled  them  to 

^  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  128. 
246 


Madame  de  Maintenon 


flourish  at  the  expense  of  France,  and  gave  to  the  world  the 
spectacle  of  a  prodigious  population  proscribed,  stripped, 
fugitive,  v^^andering,  without  crime,  and  seeking  shelter  far 
from  their  country."^  To  place  all  the  responsibility  for  this 
wide-spread  misery  on  the  shoulders  of  a  woman  would  be 
unjust  and  inaccurate.  A  spirit  of  intolerance  pervaded  the 
whole  Roman  Catholic  party  in  France;  but  Madame  de 
Maintenon  was  the  personification  of  that  spirit,  and  she, 
more  even  than  Pere  La  Chaise,  had  the  ear  of  the  king. 

She  never  really  loved  him;  and  when  at  the  last  he  lay 
dying,  and  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  gained,  she  was  old 
and  weary,  and  so  anxious  to  get  herself  settled  at  St.  Cyr 
that  she  threw  of¥  her  mask  and  revealed  herself.  "  In  the 
evening  (August  29,  171 5)  it  was  known  that  the  king  had 
only  recovered  for  a  moment.  .  .  .  His  brain  appeared  con- 
fused; he  himself  said  he  felt  very  ill.  Toward  eleven 
o'clock  his  leg  was  examined.  The  gangrene  was  found  to 
be  in  the  foot  and  knee;  the  thigh  was  much  inflamed.  He 
swooned  during  this  examination.  He  had  perceived  with 
much  pain  that  Madame  de  Maintenon  was  no  longer  near 
him.  She  had  in  fact  gone  off  on  the  previous  day  with  very 
dry  eyes  to  St.  Cyr,  not  intending  to  return.  He  asked  for 
her  several  times  during  the  day.  Her  departure  could  not 
be  hidden.  He  sent  for  her  to  St.  Cyr,  and  she  came  back  in 
the  evening.  Friday,  August  30th,  was  a  very  bad  day,  pre- 
ceded by  a  bad  night.  The  king  continually  lost  his  reason. 
About  five  o'clock  in  the  evening  Madame  de  Maintenon  left 
him,  gave  away  her  furniture  to  her  domestics,  and  went  to 
St.  Cyr,  never  to  leave  it."  She  departed,  then,  at  five 
o'clock  on  Friday,  the  30th  of  August,  but  the  king  did  not 
die  until  quarter  past  eight  on  Sunday,  the  ist  of  September; 
and  yet  Madame  de  Maintenon  wrote  a  few  days  later  to  the 
Princesse  des  Ursins  a  letter  in  which  she  said,  "  I  have  seen 
*  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  3. 
247 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

the  king  die  like  a  saint  and  a  hero."  Whatever  opinion  one 
may  have  as  to  the  truth  of  that  line,  there  is  no  doubt  as  to 
the  accuracy  of  the  next :  "  I  am  in  a  most  comfortable  re- 
treat." She  had  had  a  pension  of  forty-eight  thousand 
livres  a  year  from  the  king,  and  as  the  Due  d'Orleans,  in 
spite  of  all  the  harm  she  had  done  him,  was  generous  enough 
to  continue  her  pension,  all  her  household  expenses,  of  course, 
being  paid  by  St.  Cyr,  she  passed  the  remaining  four  years  of 
her  life  in  opulence  and  in  an  atmosphere  of  hosannas.  She 
was  over  eighty  when  the  king  died,  and  had  earned  her  re- 
pose.^ 

When  Peter  the  Great  came  to  France  in  171 7,  he  did  not 
forget  to  visit  St.  Cyr.  "On  Friday,  the  nth  of  June,  he 
went  from  Versailles  to  St.  Cyr,  where  he  saw  all  the  house- 
hold, and  the  girls  in  their  classes.  He  was  received  there 
like  the  king.  He  wished  to  see  Madame  de  Maintenon,  who, 
expecting  his  curiosity,  had  buried  herself  in  her  bed,  all  the 
curtains  closed,  except  one  which  was  half  open.  The  Czar 
entered  her  chamber,  pulled  back  the  window-curtains  upon 
arriving,  then  the  bed-curtains,  took  a  good  long  stare  at  her, 
said  not  a  word  to  her,  nor  did  she  open  her  lips,  and,  with- 
out making  her  any  kind  of  reverence,  went  his  way."^ 

In  like  fashion  we  draw  aside  the  curtain  of  the  centuries, 
we  take  a  good  long  stare  at  her,  and  having  seen  her  as  she 
was,  without  making  her  any  kind  of  reverence,  we  go  our 
way. 

*  Madame  de  Maintenon  died  at    St.  Cyr  on  the  15th  of  April,  1719. 
'  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  98. 


248 


MOMSF.IGNEU'H.  Loi'JS 

D^llj  'Vruou*?  i/trff^'j-  iiLiutt'f  //\\r  .r^///j-jw//,'^'/ 
lit:  flirzAVmor^  jooj.-i/ t't  /Ovt^//."<' #.vj  yt*^*.', // 


■..-i:„-  s/^.K.;,..'.r.  :,/.,:\-,„.-.{o^ 


Louis  of  France,  Grand  Dauphin 


II 

MONSEIGNEUR 

IGNORANCE  sat  hard  on  Monseigneur,  but  it  was  not 
for  lack  of  the  means  of  education.  If  the  Grand  Mon- 
arch could  have  had  in  his  youth  as  splendid  a  school- 
ing as  that  he  planned  for  his  eldest  son,  he  would  un- 
doubtedly have  avoided  many  of  the  errors  into  which  he  fell. 
What  the  father  himself  had  lacked,  he  was  determined  that 
the  son  should  have,  that  he  might  truly  be  the  Grand  Dau- 
phin, a  complete  man,  a  model  prince,  and  in  the  future  a 
great  king.  Montausier,  the  highest  representative  in  French 
society  of  morality  and  intelligence,  was  one  preceptor;  the 
great  Bossuet  was  another.  Blondel  taught  him  mathe- 
matics; Flechier  and  Tillemont  wrote  for  him  lives  of 
Theodosius  and  St.  Louis;  Huet,  Pierre  Danet,  and  Pere  de 
la  Rue  published  ad  usum  Delphini,  that  splendid  edition  of 
the  Latin  classics,  with  notes  and  explanations,  that  Mon- 
seigneur might  enter  the  realm  of  antiquity;  Bossuet  un- 
folded before  the  eyes  of  his  royal  pupil  in  his  Universal  His- 
tory the  rise  and  fall  of  nations,  the  duties  of  kings  to  God, 
and  of  men  to  kings;  and,  to  crown  the  work,  the  Grand 
Monarch  himself  wrote  his  Memoirs,  for  the  use  of  his  son, 
explaining  how  he  governed,  and  declaring  that  only  by  work, 
and  by  continuous  work,  could  a  sovereign  rule  as  well  as 
reign.  How  bitter  then  must  have  been  Louis's  secret  dis- 
appointment when  the  son  on  whom  such  hopes  were  centered 
turned  out  to  be  only  the  greatest  wolf-hunter  of  the  time  1 

249 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

"  Monseigneur  was  rather  tall  than  short,"  says  Saint- 
Simon;  "very  fat,  but  without  being  bloated;  with  a  very 
lofty  and  noble  aspect  without  any  harshness ;  and  he  would 
have  had  a  very  agreeable  face  if  M.  le  Prince  de  Conti  had 
not  unfortunately  broken  his  nose  in  playing  while  they  were 
both  very  young.  He  was  of  a  very  beautiful  fair  complex- 
ion, and  had  a  face  everywhere  covered  with  a  healthy  red, 
but  without  expression;  the  most  beautiful  legs  in  the  world; 
his  feet  singularly  small  and  delicate.  He  wavered  always 
in  walking,  and  felt  his  way  with  his  feet;  he  was  always 
afraid  of  falling,  and  if  the  path  was  not  perfectly  even  and 
straight,  he  called  for  assistance.  He  was  a  good  horseman, 
and  looked  well  when  mounted,  but  he  was  not  a  bold  rider. 
He  was  very  fond  of  the  table,  but  always  without  indecency ; 
he  made  but  one  real  meal  a  day,  and  was  content.  .  .  .  He 
was  ignorant  to  the  last  degree,  and  had  a  thorough  aversion 
for  learning;  so  that,  according  to  his  own  admission,  ever 
since  he  had  been  released  from  the  hands  of  teachers,  he  had 
never  read  anything  except  the  article  in  the  Gazette  de 
France  in  which  deaths  and  marriages  are  recorded.  His 
avariciousness,  except  in  certain  things,  passed  all  belief. 
He  kept  an  account  of  his  personal  expenditure,  and  knew  to 
a  sou  what  his  smallest  and  largest  expenses  amounted  to. 
He  spent  large  sums  in  building,  in  furniture,  in  jewels,  and 
in  hunting.^  ...  As  for  character,  he  had  none;  he  was 
without  enlightenment  or  knowledge  of  any  kind,  and  radi- 
cally incapable  of  acquiring  any ;  very  idle,  without  imagina- 
tion or  productiveness;  without  taste,  without  choice,  with- 
out discernment;  neither  seeing  the  weariness  he  caused 
others,  nor  that  he  was  a  ball  moving  at  haphazard  by  the  im- 
pulsion of  others ;  obstinate  and  little  to  excess  in  everything ; 
amazingly  credulous  and  accessible  to  prejudice,  keeping 
himself  always  in  the  most  pernicious  hands,  yet  incapable  of 

^  Monseigneur  had  a  pension  of  fifty  thousand  hvres  a  month. 
250 


Monseigneur 


seeing  his  position  or  of  changing  it ;  absorbed  in  his  fat  and 
his  ignorance ;  so  that,  without  any  desire  to  do  ill,  he  would 
have  made  a  pernicious  king." 

The  portrait  is  somewhat  exaggerated,  for  Saint-Simon 
was  always  at  odds  with  Monseigneur.  It  is  going  too  far 
to  say  that  Monseigneur  was  "  radically  incapable  of  acquir- 
ing knowledge."  He  had  a  good  memory,  on  the  testimony 
of  Saint-Simon  himself :  "  Arriving  at  Fontainebleau  one 
day,  during  the  movements  of  the  army,  Monseigneur  set  to 
work  reciting  for  amusement  a  long  list  of  strange  names  of 
places  in  the  forest.  *  Dear  me,  Monseigneur,'  said  the  Prin- 
cesse  de  Conti,  '  what  a  good  memory  you  have !  What  a  pity 
it  is  loaded  with  such  things  only ! '  If  he  felt  the  reproach, 
he  did  not  profit  by  it." 

The  Palatine  brings  out  some  traits  of  the  dauphin's  char- 
acter that  Saint-Simon  has  not  touched :  "  All  that  was  good 
in  Monseigneur  came  from  his  preceptors;  all  that  was  bad 
from  himself.  He  never  either  loved  or  hated  any  one  much, 
and  yet  he  was  very  wicked.  His  greatest  pleasure  was  to  do 
something  to  vex  a  person ;  and  immediately  afterward,  if  he 
could  do  something  very  pleasing  to  the  same  person,  he 
would  set  about  it  with  great  willingness.  In  every  respect 
he  was  of  the  strangest  temper  possible;  when  one  thought 
he  was  good-humored,  he  was  angry ;  and  when  one  supposed 
him  to  be  ill-humored,  he  was  in  an  amiable  mood.  No  one 
could  ever  guess  him  rightly,  and  I  do  not  believe  that  his  like 
was  or  ever  will  be  born.  It  cannot  be  said  that  he  had  much 
wit;  but  still  less  was  he  a  fool.  Nobody  was  ever  more 
prompt  to  seize  the  ridiculous  points  of  anything  in  himself 
or  in  others;  he  told  stories  agreeably;  he  was  a  keen  ob- 
server, and  dreaded  nothing  so  much  as  to  be  one  day  king, 
not  so  much  from  affection  for  his  father,  as  from  dread  of 
the  trouble  of  reigning,  for  he  was  so  extremely  idle  that  he 
neglected  all  things.  ...  He  was  a  very  obedient  son,  and 


251 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

never  opposed  the  king's  will  in  any  way.  If  he  had  chosen, 
he  might  have  enjoyed  greater  credit  with  his  father.  He 
would  never  know  anything  about  state  affairs,  lest  he  should 
be  obliged  to  attend  the  councils  and  have  no  more  time  to 
hunt." 

Saint-Simon  gives  an  example  of  this  indifference  of  Mon- 
seigneur  to  affairs  of  state :  "  After  Ramillies,  when  every- 
body was  waiting  for  the  return  of  Chamillart  to  learn  the 
truth,  Monseigneur  went  away  to  dine  at  Meudon,  saying  he 
should  learn  the  news  soon  enough.  From  this  time  he 
showed  no  more  interest  in  what  was  passing.  When  news 
was  brought  that  Lille  was  invested,  he  turned  on  his  heel  be- 
fore the  letter  announcing  it  had  been  read  to  the  end.  The 
king  called  him  back  to  hear  the  rest.  He  returned  and 
heard  it.  The  reading  finished,  he  went  away,  without  offer- 
ing a  word.  Entering  the  apartments  of  the  Princesse  de 
Conti,  he  found  there  Madame  d'Espinoy,  who  had  much 
property  in  Flanders,  and  who  had  wished  to  take  a  trip 
there.  '  Madame,'  said  he,  smiling,  *  how  would  you  go  just 
now  to  get  to  Lille  ? '  And  at  once  made  them  acquainted 
with  the  investment.  These  things  really  wounded  the 
Princesse  de  Conti."  And  one  might  safely  add,  the  king 
also. 

When  actually  with  the  army,  Monseigneur  cut  no  better 
figure.  "  Meanwhile  (1693),  the  army  which  had  been  sent 
into  Germany  under  the  command  of  Monseigneur  and  of  the 
Marechal  de  Lorges  did  little  or  nothing.  Marechal  de 
Lorges  wished  to  attack  Heilbronn,  but  Monseigneur  was 
opposed  to  it;  and,  to  the  great  regret  of  the  principal  gen- 
erals and  of  the  troops,  the  attack  was  not  made.  Mon- 
seigneur returned  early  to  Versailles." 

Once  Monseigneur  declared  himself  with  some  force.  It 
was  at  the  memorable  council  called  by  the  king  at  Fontaine- 
bleau  to  decide  whether  France  should  accept  or  reject  the  will 

252 


Monseigneur 

of  Charles  II,  which  left  the  crown  of  Spain  to  the  Due 
d'Anjou.  "  Monseigneur,  drowned  as  he  was  in  fat  and 
sloth,  appeared  in  quite  another  character  from  his  usual  one 
at  this  council.  To  the  great  surprise  of  the  king  and  his 
assistants,  when  it  was  his  turn  to  speak  he  expressed  him- 
self with  force  in  favor  of  accepting  the  testament.  Then, 
turning  toward  the  king  in  a  respectful  but  firm  manner,  he 
said  that  he  took  the  liberty  of  asking  for  his  inheritance; 
that  the  monarchy  of  Spain  belonged  to  the  queen  his  mother, 
and  consequently  to  him;  that  he  surrendered  it  willingly  to 
his  second  son  for  the  tranquillity  of  Europe;  but  that  to  no 
other  would  he  yield  an  inch  of  ground.  These  words, 
spoken  with  an  inflamed  countenance,  caused  excessive  sur- 
prise. The  king  listened  very  attentively,  and  then  said  to 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  *  And  you,  Madame,  what  do  you 
think  upon  all  this  ?  '  She  began  by  affecting  modesty ;  but 
pressed  and  even  commanded  to  speak,  she  expressed  herself 
with  becoming  confusion;  briefly  sang  the  praises  of  Mon- 
seigneur, whom  she  feared  and  liked  but  little,  sentiments 
perfectly  reciprocated,  and  at  last  was  for  accepting  the  will." 
With  all  his  faults,  Monseigneur  was  not,  as  Saint-Simon 
declares  he  was,  without  taste.  He  had  been  taught  to  design 
and  color  by  Silvestre,  did  it  fairly  well,  and  took  pleasure  in 
it.  He  was  a  good  judge  of  pictures,  and  had  an  excellent 
collection  by  the  best  masters  in  his  apartments  at  Versailles 
and  Meudon.  He  displayed  much  taste,  too,  in  the  objects 
of  art  with  which  he  had  filled  his  cabinets.  But  hunting 
was  his  great  passion,  a  taste  he  inherited  from  his  father ;  for 
the  three  great  hunters  of  the  reign  were  the  Grand  Monarch, 
Monseigneur,  and  the  Due  de  Berry.  The  chase  of  the  wolf 
was  that  which  Monseigneur  loved  best.  To  hunt  he  rose 
frequently  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he  pursued  his  wolf 
for  ten  leagues  from  Versailles,  he  hunted  ten  hours  at  a 
stretch,  and  returned  to  the  chateau  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the 

253 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

evening.  He  was  persistent.  "  Monseigneur,"  says  Dan- 
geau,  under  date  of  May  5,  1698,  "  hunted  the  wolf  and  took 
him.  He  had  already  hunted  this  same  wolf  eight  times 
without  being  able  to  kill  him."  In  a  few  years  he  had 
destroyed  every  wolf  in  the  environs  of  Versailles.  His 
hunting  parties  were  usually  limited  to  twenty-five  noblemen ; 
and  the  costume  which  he  commanded  for  the  wolf-hunt  was 
a  bright  blue  coat,  trimmed  with  gold  and  silver  lace,  a  red 
waistcoat,  blue  knee-breeches  and  top  boots,  gloves  fringed 
with  gold  lace,  and  a  hat  with  a  white  plume.  Monseigneur 
met  with  some  accidents.  Dangeau  records  two  falls  that  he 
had  from  his  horse  while  hunting  the  wolf,  and  at  Marly,  in 
September,  1689,  he  narrowly  escaped  injury  from  a  wild 
boar.  "  Having  seen  a  large  wild  boar  in  a  pool,  Monsei- 
gneur dismounted  to  fire  better.  The  boar,  seeing  Mon- 
seigneur, charged  at  him.  Monseigneur  fired  and  wounded 
him,  but  the  boar  charged  none  the  less  furiously,  and  as  he 
was  very  near,  Monseigneur  struck  him  with  the  butt  of  the 
gun  on  his  head,  and  turned  him  aside  a  little.  He  splashed 
mud  on  the  dress  of  Monseigneur,  but  neither  wounded  him 
nor  threw  him  down.  Monseigneur  had  much  presence  of 
mind,  without  which  he  would  have  been  dangerously 
wounded."  ^ 

After  the  death  of  his  wife,  the  Dauphine  of  Bavaria,  Mon- 
seigneur was  married  secretly,  about  1695,  to  his  mistress. 
Mile,  de  Chouin.  She  was  a  quiet,  unassuming  person.  Her 
marriage  was  never  declared,  and  after  the  death  of  Mon- 
seigneur she  lived  modestly  in  retirement. 

The  chief  event  in  the  career  of  the  king's  eldest  son  was 
his  death,  in  its  effect  on  the  court  and  on  the  succession  to  the 
throne;  and  the  death  of  Monseigneur  is  one  of  Saint- 
Simon's  greatest  pictures,  a  canvas  crowded  with  figures  and 
details,  in  which  nothing  is  forgotten,  and  in  which  the  mo- 

^  Dangeau,  II,  p.  478. 
254 


Monseigneur 

tives  of  men  are  revealed :  "  On  Thursday,  the  9th  of  April, 
171 1,  Monseigneur  rose  and  meant  to  go  out  wolf-hunting; 
but  as  he  was  dressing,  such  a  fit  of  weakness  seized  him  that 
he  fell  into  his  chair.  Boudin  made  him  get  into  bed  again, 
but  all  day  his  pulse  was  in  an  alarming  state.  The  king, 
only  half  informed  by  Fagon  of  what  had  taken  place,  be- 
lieved there  was  nothing  the  matter,  and  went  out  walking  at 
Marly  after  dinner,  receiving  news  from  time  to  time.  Mgr. 
le  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
dined  at  Meudon,  and  they  would  not  quit  Monseigneur  for 
one  moment.  The  duchess  added  to  the  strict  duties  of  a 
daughter-in-law  all  that  her  gracefulness  could  suggest,  and 
gave  everything  to  Monseigneur  with  her  own  hand.  Her 
heart  could  not  have  been  troubled  by  what  her  reason  fore- 
saw; but,  nevertheless,  her  care  and  attention  were  extreme, 
without  any  airs  of  affectation  or  acting.  The  Due  de  Bour- 
gogne, simple  and  holy  as  he  was,  and  full  of  the  idea  of  his 
duty,  exaggerated  his  attention,  and  although  there  was 
strong  suspicion  of  smallpox,  neither  of  them  quitted  Mon- 
seigneur, except  for  the  king's  supper.  The  next  day,  Fri- 
day, the  loth,  in  reply  to  his  express  demands,  the  king  was 
informed  of  the  extremely  dangerous  state  of  Monseigneur. 
He  had  said  on  the  previous  evening  that  he  would  go  on  the 
following  morning  to  Meudon,  and  remain  there  during  all 
the  illness  of  Monseigneur,  whatever  its  nature  might  be. 
He  was  now  as  good  as  his  word.  Immediately  after  mass 
he  set  out  for  Meudon.  Before  doing  so,  he  forbade  his  chil- 
dren, and  all  who  had  not  had  the  smallpox,  to  go  there, 
which  was  suggested  by  a  motive  of  kindness. 

"  I  will  continue  to  speak  of  myself  with  the  same  truthful- 
ness with  which  I  speak  of  others,  and  with  as  much  exact- 
ness as  possible.  According  to  the  terms  on  which  I  was 
with  Monseigneur  and  his  intimates,  may  be  imagined  the 
impression  made  upon  me  by  this  news,     I  felt  that  one  way 

255 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

or  other,  well  or  ill,  the  malady  of  Monseigneur  would  soon 
terminate.  I  was  quite  at  my  ease  at  La  Ferte.  I  resolved 
therefore  to  wait  there  until  I  received  fresh  particulars.  I 
despatched  a  courier  to  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  requesting 
her  to  send  me  another  the  next  day,  and  I  passed  the  rest  of 
this  day  in  an  ebb  and  flow  of  feelings,  the  man  and  the 
Christian  struggling  against  the  man  and  the  courtier,  and  in 
the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  vague  fancies  catching  glimpses  of 
the  future,  painted  in  most  agreeable  colors.  The  courier 
I  expected  so  impatiently  arrived  the  next  day,  Sunday,  the 
1 2th  of  April,  after  dinner.  The  smallpox  had  declared 
itself,  I  learned,  and  was  going  on  as  well  as  could  be  wished. 
I  believed  Monseigneur  saved,  and  wished  to  remain  at  my 
own  house ;  nevertheless  I  took  advice,  as  I  have  done  all  my 
life,  and  with  great  regret  set  out  the  next  morning.  At  La 
Queue,  about  six  leagues  from  Versailles,  I  met  a  financier 
of  the  name  of  La  Fontaine,  whom  I  knew  well.  He  was 
coming  from  Paris  and  Versailles,  and  came  up  to  me  as  I 
changed  horses.  Monseigneur,  he  said,  was  going  on  admir- 
ably ;  and  he  added  details  that  convinced  me  that  the  prince 
was  out  of  all  danger.  I  arrived  at  Versailles,  full  of  this 
opinion,  which  was  confirmed  by  Madame  de  Saint-Simon 
and  by  everybody  I  met,  so  that  nobody  any  longer  feared, 
except  on  account  of  the  treacherous  nature  of  this  disease 
in  a  very  fat  man  of  fifty. 

"  The  king  held  his  council,  and  worked  in  the  evening  with 
his  ministers  as  usual.  He  saw  Monseigneur  morning  and 
evening,  oftentimes  in  the  afternoon,  and  always  remained 
long  by  the  bedside.  On  the  Monday  I  arrived  (at  Ver- 
sailles), he  had  dined  early,  and  had  driven  from  Meudon  to 
Marly,  where  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  joined  him.  He 
saw  in  passing,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  garden  of  Versailles, 
his  grandchildren,  who  had  come  out  to  meet  him;  but  he 
would  not  let  them  come  near,  and  said  good  day  from  a  dis- 

256 


Monseigneur 

tance.  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  had  had  the  smallpox, 
but  no  trace  was  left.  The  king  liked  only  his  own  houses, 
and  could  not  bear  to  be  anywhere  else.  That  is  why  his 
visits  to  Meudon  were  few  and  short.  Madame  de  Mainte- 
non  was  still  more  out  of  her  element  there.  Although  her 
chamber  was  everywhere  a  sanctuary  where  only  ladies  en- 
titled to  the  most  extreme  familiarity  entered,  she  always 
wanted  another  retreat  near  at  hand  entirely  inaccessible  ex- 
cept to  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  alone,  and  that  only  for  a 
few  instants  at  a  time.  Thus  she  had  St.  Cyr  for  Versailles 
and  for  Marly,  and  at  Marly  also  a  particular  retiring-place, 
and  at  Fontainebleau  she  had  her  town  house.  Seeing  there- 
fore that  Monseigneur  was  getting  on  well,  and  that  a  long 
sojourn  at  Meudon  would  be  necessary,  the  upholsterers  of 
the  king  were  ordered  to  furnish  for  Madame  de  Maintenon  a 
house  in  the  park,  which  once  belonged  to  the  Chancellor  le 
Tellier,  but  which  Monseigneur  had  bought. 

"  When  I  arrived  at  Versailles,  I  wrote  to  M.  de  Beauvil- 
liers  at  Meudon,  praying  him  to  apprise  the  king  that  I  had 
returned  on  account  of  the  illness  of  Monseigneur,  and  that  I 
would  have  gone  to  see  him,  but  that,  never  having  had  the 
smallpox,  I  was  included  in  the  prohibition.  M.  de  Beau- 
villiers  did  as  I  asked,  and  sent  back  word  to  me  that  my  re- 
turn had  been  very  well  timed,  and  that  the  king  still  forbade 
me  as  well  as  Madame  de  Saint-Simon  to  go  to  Meudon. 
This  fresh  prohibition  did  not  distress  me  in  the  least.  I  was 
informed  of  all  that  was  passing  there,  and  that  satisfied  me. 

"  There  were  yet  contrasts  at  Meudon  worth  noticing. 
Mile,  de  Chouin  never  appeared  while  the  king  was  with 
Monseigneur,  but  kept  close  in  her  apartment.  When  the 
coast  was  clear,  she  came  out,  and  took  up  her  position  by  the 
sick  man's  bedside.  All  sorts  of  compliments  passed  between 
her  and  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  yet. they  never  met.  The 
king  asked  Madame  de  Maintenon  if  she  had  seen  Mile,  de 

17  257 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Chouin,  and  upon  learning  that  she  had  not,  was  but  ill 
pleased.  Therefore  Madame  de  Maintenon  sent  excuses  and 
apologies  to  Mile,  de  Chouin,  and  said  she  hoped  to  see  her 
soon,  strange  compliments  from  one  chamber  to  another 
under  the  same  roof.  They  never  saw  each  other.  It  should 
be  observed  that  Pere  Tellier,  the  king's  confessor,  was  also 
incognito  at  Meudon,  and  dwelt  in  a  retired  room  from  which 
he  issued  to  see  the  king,  but  never  approached  the  apart- 
ments of  Monseigneur. 

"  Versailles  presented  another  scene.  Mgr.  le  Due  de 
Bourgogne  and  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  held  their 
court  openly  there,  and  this  court  resembled  the  first  gleams 
of  the  dawn.  All  the  court  assembled  there ;  all  Paris  also ; 
and  as  discretion  and  precaution  were  never  French  virtues, 
all  Meudon  came  as  well.  People  were  believed  on  their 
word  when  they  declared  that  they  had  not  entered  the  apart- 
ments of  Monseigneur  that  day,  and  consequently  could  not 
bring  the  infection.  When  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne rose,  when  they  went  to  bed,  when  they  dined  and 
supped  with  the  ladies,  all  public  conversations,  all  assemblies, 
were  opportunities  of  paying  court  to  them.  The  apartments 
could  not  contain  the  crowd.  The  characteristic  features  of 
the  scene  were  many.  Couriers  arrived  every  quarter  of  an 
hour,  and  reminded  people  of  the  illness  of  Monseigneur ;  he 
was  going  on  as  well  as  could  be  expected;  confidence  and 
hope  were  easily  felt;  but  there  was  an  extreme  desire  to 
please  at  the  new  court.  The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne exhibited  majesty  and  gravity,  mixed  with  gaiety; 
obligingly  received  all,  continually  spoke  to  every  one.  The 
crowd  wore  an  air  of  complaisance;  reciprocal  satisfaction 
showed  in  every  face.  The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Berry  were 
treated  almost  as  nobody.  Thus  five  days  fled  away  in  in- 
creasing thought  of  future  events,  in  preparation  to  be  ready 
for  whatever  might  happen, 

258 


Monseigneur 

"  On  Tuesday,  the  14th  of  April,  I  went  to  see  the  chan- 
cellor, and  asked  for  information  upon  the  state  of  Mon- 
seigneur. He  assured  me  it  was  good,  and  repeated  to  me 
the  words  Fagon  had  spoken  to  him,  '  that  things  were  going 
on  according  to  their  wishes,  and  beyond  their  hopes.'  The 
chancellor  appeared  to  me  very  confident,  and  I  had  faith  in 
him,  so  much  the  more  because  he  was  on  an  extremely  good 
footing  with  Monseigneur.  Indeed,  Monseigneur  had  so 
much  recovered  that  the  fishwomen  came  in  a  body  on  the 
same  day  to  congratulate  him,  as  they  had  done  after  his  at- 
tack of  indigestion.  They  threw  themselves  at  the  foot  of 
his  bed,  which  they  kissed  several  times,  and  in  their  joy  said 
they  would  go  back  to  Paris  and  have  a  Te  Deum  sung.  But 
Monseigneur,  who  was  not  insensible  to  these  marks  of  popu- 
lar affection,  told  them  it  was  not  yet  time,  thanked  them, 
and  gave  them  a  dinner  and  some  money.  As  I  was  return- 
ing to  my  apartments,  I  saw  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  walking 
on  the  terrace.  She  called  to  me;  but  I  pretended  not  to 
notice  her,  because  La  Montauban  was  with  her,  and  has- 
tened to  my  cabinet.  Almost  immediately  afterward  Mme, 
la  Duchesse  d'Orleans  joined  me  there.  We  were  bursting 
to  speak  to  each  other  alone,  upon  a  point  on  which  our 
thoughts  were  alike.  She  had  left  Meudon  not  an  hour  be- 
fore, and  she  had  the  same  tale  to  tell  as  the  chancellor. 
Everybody  was  at  ease  there,  she  said ;  and  then  she  extolled 
the  care  and  capacities  of  the  doctors,  exaggerating  their 
success;  and,  to  speak  frankly  and  to  our  shame,  she  and  I 
lamented  together  to  see  Monseigneur,  in  spite  of  his  age  and 
his  fat,  escape  from  so  dangerous  an  illness.  She  reflected 
seriously  but  wittily  that,  after  an  illness  of  this  sort,  apo- 
plexy was  not  to  be  looked  for ;  that  an  attack  of  indigestion 
was  equally  unlikely  to  arise,  considering  the  care  Monsei- 
gneur had  taken  not  to  overgorge  himself  since  his  recent  dan- 
ger; and  we  concluded  more  than  dolefully  that  henceforth 

259 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

we  must  make  up  our  minds  that  Monseigneur  would  live  and 
reign  for  a  long  time.  In  a  word,  we  let  ourselves  loose  in 
this  rare  conversation,  although  not  without  an  occasional 
scruple  of  conscience  which  disturbed  it.  Madame  de  Saint- 
Simon  very  devoutly  tried  her  best  to  put  a  drag  upon  our 
tongues,  but  the  drag  broke,  so  to  speak,  and  we  continued 
our  free  discourse,  humanly  speaking  very  reasonable  on  our 
parts,  but  which  we  felt  was  not  according  to  religion. 
Thus  two  hours  passed,  seemingly  very  short.  Madame 
d'Orleans  went  away,  and  I  repaired  with  Madame  de  Saint- 
Simon  to  receive  a  numerous  company. 

"  But  while  all  was  tranquillity  at  Versailles,  everything 
had  changed  its  aspect  at  the  Chateau  of  Meudon.  The  king 
had  seen  Monseigneur  several  times  during  the  day;  but  in 
his  after-dinner  visit  he  was  so  much  struck  with  the  ex- 
traordinary swelling  of  the  face  and  of  the  head  that  he 
shortened  his  stay,  and  on  leaving  the  chateau,  shed  tears. 
He  was  reassured  as  much  as  possible,  and  after  the  council 
he  took  a  walk  in  the  garden.  Nevertheless  Monseigneur 
had  already  mistaken  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Conti  for  some 
one  else,  and  Boudin,  the  doctor,  was  alarmed.  Monseigneur 
himself  had  been  so  from  the  first,  and  admitted  that  for  a 
long  time  before  being  attacked,  he  had  been  very  unwell, 
and  so  much  so  on  Good  Friday  that  he  had  been  unable  to 
read  his  prayer-book  in  chapel.  Toward  four  o'clock  he 
grew  worse,  so  much  so  that  Boudin  proposed  to  Fagon  to 
call  in  other  doctors,  more  familiar  with  the  disease  than  they 
were.  But  Fagon  flew  into  a  rage  at  this,  and  would  call  in 
nobody.  He  declared  that  it  would  be  better  to  act  for  them- 
selves, and  keep  Monseigneur's  state  secret,  although  it  was 
hourly  growing  worse,  and  toward  seven  o'clock  was  per- 
ceived by  several  valets  and  courtiers.  But  nobody  dared  to 
open  his  mouth  before  Fagon,  and  the  king  was  actually  al- 
lowed to  go  to  supper  and  to  finish  it  without  interruption, 

260 


Monseigneur 

believing  on  the  faith  of  Fagon  that  Monseigneur  was  going 
on  well.  While  the  king  supped  tranquilly,  all  those  who 
were  in  the  sick-chamber  began  to  lose  their  wits.  Fagon 
and  the  others  poured  down  physic  on  physic,  without  leaving 
time  for  any  to  work.  The  cure,  who  was  accustomed  to  go 
and  learn  the  news  every  evening,  found,  against  all  custom, 
the  doors  thrown  wide  open,  and  the  valets  in  confusion.  He 
entered  the  chamber,  and  perceiving  what  was  the  matter,  ran 
to  the  bedside,  took  the  hand  of  Monseigneur,  spoke  to  him  of 
Gk)d,  and  seeing  him  full  of  consciousness,  but  scarcely  able 
to  speak,  drew  from  him  a  sort  of  confession,  of  which  no- 
body had  hitherto  thought,  and  suggested  some  acts  of  con- 
trition. The  poor  prince  repeated  distinctly  several  words 
suggested  to  him,  and  confusedly  answered  others,  struck  his 
breast,  squeezed  the  cure's  hand,  appeared  penetrated  with 
the  best  sentiments,  and  received  with  a  contrite  and  willing 
air  the  absolution  of  the  cure.  The  king,  as  he  rose  from  the 
supper-table,  well-nigh  fell  backward,  when  Fagon,  coming 
forward,  cried  in  great  trouble  that  all  was  lost.  It  may  be 
imagined  what  terror  seized  all  the  company  at  this  abrupt 
passage  from  perfect  security  to  hopeless  despair.  The  king, 
scarcely  master  of  himself,  at  once  began  to  go  toward  the 
apartment  of  Monseigneur,  and  repelled  very  stiffly  the  indis- 
creet eagerness  of  some  courtiers  who  wished  to  prevent  him, 
saying  that  he  would  see  his  son  again,  and  be  quite  certain 
that  nothing  could  be  done.  As  he  was  about  to  enter  the 
chamber,  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Conti  presented  herself  before 
him,  and  prevented  him  from  going  in.  She  pushed  him 
back  with  her  hands,  and  said  that  henceforth  he  had  only  to 
think  of  himself.  Then  the  king,  nearly  fainting  from  a 
shock  so  complete  and  so  sudden,  fell  upon  a  sofa  that  stood 
near.  He  asked  unceasingly  for  news  from  all  who  passed, 
but  scarcely  anybody  dared  to  reply  to  him.  He  had  sent  for 
Pere  Tellier,  who  went  into  Monseigneur's  room ;  but  it  was 

261 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

no  longer  time.  It  is  true  tliat  the  Jesuit,  perhaps  to  console 
the  king,  said  he  gave  the  prince  a  well-founded  absolution. 
Madame  de  Maintenon  hastened  after  the  king,  and  sitting 
down  beside  him  on  the  same  sofa,  tried  to  cry.  She  en- 
deavored to  lead  away  the  king  to  the  carriage  already  wait- 
ing for  him  in  the  courtyard,  but  he  would  not  go,  and  sat 
thus  outside  the  door  until  Monseigneur  had  expired.  The 
agony,  without  consciousness,  of  Monseigneur  lasted  more 
than  an  hour  after  the  king  had  come  into  the  cabinet.  Mme. 
la  Duchesse  and  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Conti  divided  their 
cares  between  the  dying  man  and  the  king,  to  whom  they  con- 
stantly came  back;  while  the  doctors  confounded,  the  valets 
bewildered,  the  courtiers  hurrying  and  murmuring,  hustled 
against  one  another,  and  moved  unceasingly  to  and  fro,  back- 
ward and  forward,  in  the  same  narrow  space.  At  last  the 
fatal  moment  arrived.  Fagon  came  out,  and  allowed  as 
much  to  be  understood.  The  king,  much  afflicted,  and  very 
grieved  that  Monseigneur's  confession  had  been  so  tardily 
made,  abused  Fagon  a  little,  and  went  away,  led  by  Madame 
de  Maintenon,  Mme.  la  Duchesse,  and  the  Princesse  de  Conti. 
He  was  somewhat  struck  by  finding  the  coach  of  Monsei- 
gneur outside,  and  made  a  sign  that  he  would  have  another 
coach,  for  that  one  made  him  suffer,  and  left  the  chateau. 
He  was  not,  however,  so  much  occupied  with  his  grief  that  he 
could  not  call  Pontchartrain  to  arrange  the  hour  of  the  coun- 
cil for  the  next  day.  I  will  not  comment  on  this  coolness,  and 
shall  merely  say  it  surprised  extremely  all  present,  and  that  if 
Pontchartrain  had  not  said  the  council  could  be  put  off,  no 
interruption  to  business  would  have  taken  place.  The  king 
got  into  his  coach  with  difficulty,  supported  on  both  sides. 
Madame  de  Maintenon  seated  herself  beside  him.  A  crowd 
of  officers  of  Monseigneur  lined  both  sides  of  the  court  on 
their  knees,  as  he  passed  out,  crying  to  him  with  strange 
bowlings  to  have  compassion  on  them,  for  they  had  lost  all, 

262 


Monseigneur 

and  must  die  of  hunger.  Horror  reigned  at  Meudon.  As 
soon  as  the  king  had  left,  all  the  courtiers  left  also,  crowding 
into  the  first  carriages  that  came.  In  an  instant  Meudon  was 
empty.  Mile,  de  Chouin  remained  alone  in  her  apartment, 
and  unaware  of  what  had  taken  place.  She  learned  it  only  by 
the  cry  raised.  Nobody  thought  of  telling  her.  .At  last  some 
friends  went  up  to  her,  hurried  her  into  a  hired  coach,  and 
took  her  to  Paris.  The  dispersion  was  general.  One  or  two 
valets,  at  the  most,  remained  near  the  body.  La  Vrilliere, 
to  his  praise  be  it  said,  was  the  only  courtier  who,  not  having 
abandoned  Monseigneur  during  life,  did  not  abandon  him 
after  his  death.  He  had  some  difficulty  to  find  somebody  to 
go  in  search  of  Capuchins  to  pray  over  the  corpse.  The  de- 
composition became  so  rapid  and  so  great  that  the  opening  of 
the  windows  was  not  enough.  The  Capuchins,  La  Vrilliere, 
and  the  valets  were  compelled  to  pass  the  night  outside. 

"  While  Meudon  was  filled  with  horror,  all  was  tranquil  at 
Versailles,  without  the  least  suspicion.  We  had  supped. 
The  company  some  time  after  had  retired,  and  I  was  talking 
with  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  who  had  nearly  finished  un- 
dressing herself  to  go  to  bed,  when  a  servant  of  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  who  had  formerly  belonged  to  us,  entered, 
all  terrified.  He  said  that  there  must  be  some  bad  news  from 
Meudon,  since  M.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  had  just  whispered  in 
the  ear  of  M.  le  Due  de  Berry,  whose  eyes  had  at  once  become 
red,  that  he  left  the  table,  and  that  all  the  company  shortly 
after  him  rose  with  precipitation.  So  sudden  a  change  ren- 
dered my  surprise  extreme.  I  ran  in  hot  haste  to  the  apart- 
ments of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Berry.  Nobody  was  there. 
Everybody  had  gone  to  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne.  I 
followed  on  with  all  speed.  I  found  all  Versailles  assembled 
on  arriving,  all  the  ladies  hastily  dressed,  the  majority  hav- 
ing been  on  the  point  of  going  to  bed,  all  doors  open,  and  all 
in  trouble.     I  learned  that  Monseigneur  had  received  the 

263 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

extreme  unction,  that  he  was  without  consciousness  and  be- 
yond hope,  and  that  the  king  had  sent  word  to  Madame  de 
Bourgogne  that  he  was  going  to  Marly,  and  that  she  was  to 
meet  him  as  he  passed  through  the  avenue  between  the  royal 
stables. 

"  The  spectacle  before  me  attracted  all  the  attention  I  could 
bestow.  M.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne,  M.  le  Due  de  Berry,  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  were  in 
the  little  cabinet  behind  the  bedchamber  of  the  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne.  The  bed-toilet  was  as  usual  in  the  chamber, 
which  was  filled  with  all  the  court  in  confusion.  The 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  came  and  went  from  the  cabinet  to 
the  chamber,  waiting  for  the  moment  when  she  was  to  meet 
the  king,  and  her  demeanor,  always  distinguished  by  the  same 
graces,  was  one  of  trouble  and  compassion,  which  the  trouble 
and  compassion  of  others  induced  them  to  take  for  grief. 
Now  and  then,  in  passing,  she  said  a  few  rare  words.  All 
present  were  in  truth  expressive  personages.  Whoever  had 
eyes,  without  any  knowledge  of  the  court,  could  see  the  inter- 
ests of  all  interested  painted  on  their  faces,  and  the  indiffer- 
ence of  the  indifferent;  these  tranquil,  the  former  penetrated 
with  grief,  or  gravely  attentive  to  themselves  to  hide  their 
emancipation  and  their  joy.  For  my  part,  my  first  care  was 
to  inform  myself  thoroughly  of  the  state  of  affairs,  fearing 
lest  there  might  be  too  much  alarm  for  too  trifling  a  cause; 
then,  recovering  myself,  I  reflected  upon  the  misery  common 
to  all  men,  and  that  I  myself  should  find  myself  some  day  at 
the  gates  of  death.  Joy,  nevertheless,  found  its  way  through 
the  momentary  reflections  of  religion  and  humanity  by  which 
I  tried  to  master  myself.  My  own  private  deliverance  seemed 
so  great  and  so  unhoped  for  that  it  appeared  to  me  that  the 
state  must  gain  everything  by  such  a  loss;  and  with  these 
thoughts  I  felt,  in  spite  of  myself,  a  lingering  fear  lest  the 
sick  man  should  recover,  and  was  extremely  ashamed  of  it. 

264 


Monseigneur 

Wrapped  up  thus  in  myself,  I  did  not  fail,  however,  to  cast 
clandestine  looks  upon  each  face,  to  see  what  was  passing 
there.  I  saw  Mme.  la  Duchesse  d'Orleans  arrive,  but  her 
countenance,  majestic  and  constrained,  said  nothing.  She 
went  into  the  little  cabinet,  from  which  she  presently  issued 
with  the  Due  d'Orleans,  whose  activity  and  turbulent  air 
marked  his  emotion  at  the  spectacle  more  than  any  other 
sentiment.  They  went  away,  and  I  notice  this  expressly  on 
account  of  what  happened  afterward  in  my  presence.  Soon 
I  caught  a  distant  glimpse  of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne,  who 
seemed  much  moved  and  troubled,  but  the  glance  with  which 
I  probed  him  rapidly  revealed  nothing  tender,  and  told  merely 
of  a  mind  profoundly  occupied  with  the  bearings  of  what  had 
taken  place.  Valets  and  femmes  de  chambre  were  already 
indiscreetly  crying  out,  and  their  grief  showed  well  that  they 
were  about  to  lose  something.  A  little  after  midnight  we  had 
news  of  the  king,  and  immediately  after  the  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne  came  out  of  the  little  cabinet  with  the  duke,  who 
seemed  more  touched  than  when  I  first  saw  him.  The  duchess 
took  her  scarf  and  her  coif  from  the  toilet,  standing  with  a 
deliberate  air,  her  eyes  scarcely  wet,  a  fact  betrayed  by  in- 
quisitive glances  cast  rapidly  to  the  right  and  left,  and,  fol- 
lowed only  by  her  ladies,  she  went  to  her  coach  by  the  grand 
staircase. 

"  I  took  this  opportunity  to  go  to  the  apartments  of  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans,  where  I  found  many  people.  Their 
presence  made  me  very  impatient,  and  the  duchess,  who  was 
equally  impatient,  took  a  light  and  went  into  her  cabinet.  I 
whispered  in  the  ear  of  the  Duchesse  de  Villeroi,  who  thought 
as  I  thought  of  this  event.  She  nudged  me,  and  said  in  a 
very  low  voice  that  I  must  contain  myself.  I  was  smothered 
with  silence,  amid  the  complaints  and  the  naive  surprises 
of  these  ladies.  At  last  the  Due  d'Orleans  appeared  at  the 
door  of  his  cabinet,  and  beckoned  me  to  come  to  him.     I  fol- 

265 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

lowed  him  into  tlie  cabinet,  where  we  were  alone.  What  was 
my  surprise,  remembering  the  terms  on  which  he  was  with 
Monseigneur,  to  see  tears  streaming  from  his  eyes.  '  Mon- 
sieur ! '  I  exclaimed,  rising.  He  understood  me  at  once,  and 
answered  in  a  broken  voice,  really  crying :  '  You  are  right  to 
be  surprised.  I  am  surprised  myself.  But  such  a  spectacle 
touches.  He  was  a  man  with  whom  I  passed  much  of  my 
life,  and  who  treated  me  well  when  he  was  uninfluenced.  I 
feel  very  well  that  my  grief  won't  last  long;  in  a  few  days  I 
shall  discover  motives  of  joy ;  but  at  present,  blood,  relation- 
ship, humanity,  all  work,  and  my  entrails  are  moved.'  I 
praised  his  sentiments,  but  repeated  my  surprise.  He  rose, 
thrust  his  head  into  a  corner,  and,  with  his  nose  there,  wept 
bitterly  and  sobbed,  which  if  I  had  not  seen,  I  could  not  have 
believed.  After  a  little  silence,  I  exhorted  him  to  calm  him- 
self. I  represented  to  him  that,  everybody  knowing  on  what 
terms  he  had  been  with  Monseigneur,  he  would  be  laughed 
at,  as  playing  a  part,  if  his  eyes  showed  that  he  had  been 
weeping.  He  did  what  he  could  to  remove  the  marks  of  his 
tears,  and  then  we  went  back  into  the  other  room. 

"  The  interview  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  with  the 
king  had  not  been  long.  She  met  him  in  the  avenue  between 
the  royal  stables,  got  down,  and  went  to  the  door  of  the  car- 
riage. Madame  de  Maintenon  cried  out,  *  Where  are  you 
going?  We  bear  the  plague  about  with  us.'  I  do  not  know 
what  the  king  said  or  did.  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  re- 
turned to  her  carriage,  and  came  back  to  the  chateau,  bring- 
ing in  reality  the  first  news  of  the  actual  death  of  Monsei- 
gneur. At  Marly  everybody  felt  hopeful,  and  the  king's 
return  there  was  not  dreamed  of.  Nothing  was  ready,  no 
keys  of  the  apartments,  no  fires,  scarcely  any  candles.  The 
king  was  more  than  an  hour  thus  with  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  and  other  ladies  in  one  of  the  antechambers.  The  king 
retired  into  a  corner,  seated  between  Madame  de  Maintenon 

266 


Monseigneur 


and  two  other  ladies,  and  wept  at  long  intervals.  At  last  the 
chamber  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  was  ready.  The  king 
entered,  remained  there  an  hour,  and  then  went  to  bed  in 
his  apartment  at  nearly  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

"  At  the  return  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  acting  upon 
the  advice  of  M.  de  Beauvilliers,  all  the  company  had  gone 
into  the  grand  salon.  ^  The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
and  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Berry  were  there,  seated  on  one 
sofa ;  all  the  rest  of  the  company  were  scattered  about  in  con- 
fusion, seated  or  standing,  some  of  the  ladies  being  on  the 
floor  near  the  sofa.  There  could  be  no  doubt  of  what  had 
happened;  it  was  plainly  written  on  every  face.  Monsei- 
gneur was  no  more.  It  was  known ;  it  was  spoken  of ;  con- 
straint with  respect  to  him  no  longer  existed.  Amid  the  sur- 
prise, the  confusion,  and  the  movements  that  prevailed,  the 
sentiments  of  all  were  painted  to  the  life  in  looks  and  gestures. 
In  the  adjoining  apartments  were  heard  the  constrained 
groans  and  sighs  of  the  valets,  grieving  for  the  master  they 
had  lost.  Further  on  began  the  crowd  of  courtiers  of  all 
kinds.  The  greater  number,  that  is  to  say  the  fools,  pumped 
up  sighs  as  well  as  they  could,  and  with  wandering  but  dry 
eyes  sang  the  praises  of  Monseigneur,  insisting  especially  on 
his  goodness.  They  pitied  the  king  for  the  loss  of  so  good  a 
son.  The  keener  began  already  to  be  uneasy  about  the  health 
of  the  king,  and  admired  themselves  for  preserving  so  much 
judgment  amid  so  much  trouble,  which  could  be  perceived 
by  the  frequency  of  their  repetitions.  Others,  really  afflicted, 
the  discomfited  cabal,  wept  bitterly,  and  kept  themselves 
under  with  an  effort  as  easy  to  notice  as  sobs.  The  most 
strong-minded  or  the  wisest,  with  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground, 
in  corners,  meditated  on  the  consequences  of  such  an  event, 
and  especially  on  their  own  interests.  Few  words  passed  in 
conversation;  here  and  there  an  exclamation  wrung  from 
^  The  salon  of  Peace. 
267 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

grief  was  answered  by  some  neighboring  grief,  a  word  every 
quarter  of  an  hour,  somber  and  haggard  eyes,  movements 
quite  involuntary  of  the  hands,  immobihty  of  all  other  parts 
of  the  body.  Those  who  already  looked  upon  the  event  as 
favorable  in  vain  exaggerated  their  gravity,  so  as  to  make  it 
resemble  chagrin  and  severity;  the  veil  over  their  faces  was 
transparent  and  hid  not  a  single  feature.  They  remained  as 
motionless  as  those  who  grieved  most,  fearing  opinion,  curios- 
ity, their  own  satisfaction,  their  every  movement;  but  their 
eyes  made  up  for  their  immobility.  Indeed,  they  could  not 
refrain  from  repeatedly  changing  their  attitudes,  like  people 
ill  at  ease,  sitting  or  standing,  from  avoiding  each  other  too 
carefully,  even  from  allowing  their  eyes  to  meet,  nor  repress  a 
manifest  air  of  liberty,  nor  conceal  their  increased  liveliness, 
nor  put  out  a  sort  of  brilliancy  which  distinguished  them  in 
spite  of  themselves.  It  must  be  admitted  that  for  him  who 
is  well  acquainted  with  the  privacies  of  a  court  the  first  sight 
of  rare  events  of  this  nature,  interesting  in  so  many  different 
respects,  is  extremely  satisfactory.  Every  countenance  re- 
veals the  cares,  the  intrigues,  the  labors  employed  in  the  ad- 
vancement of  fortunes,  in  the  overthrow  of  rivals;  the  rela- 
tions, the  coldness,  the  hatreds,  the  evil  offices  done,  the  base- 
ness of  all,  hope,  despair,  rage,  satisfaction,  express  them- 
selves in  the  features.  See  how  all  eyes  wander  to  and  fro. 
examining  what  passes  around,  how  some  are  astonished  to 
find  others  more  mean,  or  less  mean,  than  was  expected. 
Thus  this  spectacle  produced  a  pleasure  which,  hollow  as  it 
may  be,  is  one  of  the  greatest  a  court  can  bestow. 

"  The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  and  the  Due  and 
Duchesse  de  Berry  were  more  exposed  to  view  than  any 
others.  The  Due  de  Bourgogne  wept  with  tenderness,  sin- 
cerity, gentleness,  the  tears  of  nature,  religion,  and  patience. 
The  Due  de  Berry  also  sincerely  shed  abundance  of  tears,  but 
bloody  tears  so  to  speak,  so  great  appeared  their  bitterness, 

268 


Monseigneur 

and  he  uttered  not  only  sobs,  but  cries,  nay,  even  yells.  He 
was  silent  sometimes,  but  from  suffocation,  and  then  would 
burst  out  again  with  such  a  noise,  such  a  trumpet  sound  of 
despair,  that  the  majority  present  burst  out  also  at  these  dolo- 
rous repetitions,  either  impelled  by  affliction  or  decorum. 
Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  beside  herself;  there  was 
seen  written,  as  it  were,  a  sort  of  furious  grief,  based  on 
interest,  not  affection;  now  and  then  came  dry  lulls,  deep 
and  sullen,  then  a  torrent  of  tears.  Often  aroused  by  the 
cries  of  her  husband,  prompt  to  assist  him,  to  support  him, 
to  embrace  him,  to  give  him  her  smelling-bottle,  her  care  for 
him  was  evident.  As  for  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  she 
consoled  her  husband  with  less  trouble  than  she  had  to  appear 
herself  in  want  of  consolation.  Without  attempting  to  play 
a  part,  it  was  evident  that  she  did  her  best  to  acquit  herself  of 
a  pressing  duty  of  decorum ;  but  she  found  extreme  difficulty 
in  keeping  up  appearances.  When  her  brother-in-law 
howled,  she  blew  her  nose.  She  had  brought  some  tears 
along  with  her,  and  kept  them  with  care,  and  these,  combined 
with  the  art  of  the  handkerchief,  enabled  her  to  redden  her 
eyes  and  make  them  swell,  and  smudge  her  face;  but  her 
glances  often  wandered  on  the  sly  to  the  countenances  of  all 
present.  Madame  ^  arrived,  in  full  dress  she  knew  not  why, 
and  howling  she  knew  not  why,  inundated  everybody  with  her 
tears  in  embracing  them,  making  the  chateau  echo  with  re- 
newed cries,  and  furnished  the  odd  spectacle  of  a  princess 
putting  on  her  robes  of  ceremony  in  the  dead  of  night  to  come 
and  cry  among  a  crowd  of  women  with  but  little  on  except 
their  night-dresses,  almost  as  masqueraders. 

"Jn  the  gallery,  several  ladies,  Mme.  la  Duchesse  d'Or- 
leans,  Madame  de  Castries,  and  Madame  de  Saint-Simon 
among  the  rest,  finding  no  one  close  by,  drew  near  one  another 
by  the  side  of  a  tent-bedstead,  and  began  to  open  their  hearts 

*  The  dowager  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  widow  of  Monsieur. 
269 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

to  one  another,  which  they  did  with  the  more  freedom,  inas- 
much as  they  had  but  one  sentiment  in  common  upon  what 
had  occurred.  In  the  gallery  and  its  salons  there  were  always 
during  the  night  several  beds,  in  which,  for  security's  sake, 
certain  Swiss  guards  slept.  These  beds  had  been  put  in  their 
usual  places  this  evening  before  the  bad  news  came  from 
Meudon.  In  the  midst  of  the  conversation  of  the  ladies, 
Madame  de  Castries  touched  the  bed,  felt  something  move, 
and  was  much  terrified.  A  moment  after  they  saw  a  sturdy 
arm,  nearly  naked,  raise  the  curtains  on  a  sudden,  and  thus 
show  them  a  great  brawny  Swiss  under  the  sheets,  half 
awake  and  wholly  amazed.  The  fellow  was  a  long  time  in 
making  out  his  position,  fixing  his  eyes  upon  every  face,  one 
after  another;  but  at  last,  not  judging  it  advisable  to  get  up 
in  the  midst  of  such  a  grand  company,  he  reburied  himself  in 
his  bed  and  closed  the  curtains.  Apparently  the  guard  had 
gone  to  bed  before  anything  had  transpired,  and  had  slept  so 
soundly  ever  since  that  he  had  not  been  aroused  till  then. 
The  saddest  sights  have  often  the  most  ridiculous  contrasts. 
This  caused  some  of  the  ladies  to  laugh,  and  made  Madame 
d'Orleans  fear  lest  the  conversation  might  have  been  over- 
heard ;  but,  after  reflection,  the  sleep  and  the  stupidity  of  the 
sleeper  reassured  her.  The  turmoil  in  the  grand  salon  and 
the  gallery  lasted  about  an  hour,  at  the  end  of  which  M.  de 
Beauvilliers  thought  it  was  high  time  to  deliver  the  princes  of 
their  company.     The  apartments  were  cleared. 

"  The  first  night  at  Versailles  after  the  death  of  Monsei- 
gneur  was  sleepless.  The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
heard  mass  early  next  morning.  The  duchess  wished  to  be 
at  Marly  at  the  king's  waking.  I  went  to  see  them,  ^ew 
persons  were  present  on  account  of  the  hour.  Their  eyes 
were  wonderfully  dry,  but  carefully  managed.  It  was  easy 
to  see  they  were  more  occupied  with  their  new  position  than 
with  the  death  of  Monseigneur.    At  Marly,  the  morning  after 

270 


Monseigneur 

the  death  of  Monseigneur,  the  king  rose  late,  called  M.  de 
Beauvilliers  into  his  cabinet,  shed  some  more  tears,  and  then 
said  that  from  that  time  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  Mme. 
la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  were  to  enjoy  the  honors,  the  rank, 
and  the  names  of  Dauphin  and  Dauphine."  ^ 

In  the  night  of  Wednesday,  the  15th  of  April,  some  twenty- 
four  hours  after  his  death,  the  remains  of  Monseigneur  were 
taken  from  Meudon  to  St.  Denis,  and  placed  in  the  royal 
vaults.  There  was  little  ceremony,  and  aside  from  the  per- 
sons on  duty,  none  of  the  courtiers  attended.  On  the  i8th  of 
the  following  June,  171 1,  the  solemn  obsequies  took  place  at 
St.  Denis,  and  on  July  3d  at  Notre  Dame  de  Paris. 

^Saint-Simon,  II,  pp.  172-191. 


271 


Ill 

THE  DUC  AND  DUCHESSE  DE  BOURGOGNE 

WITH  the  exception  of  Monseigneur,  the 
children  of  Louis  XIV  and  Marie  Therese 
died  young.  At  court  the  three  sons  of 
Monseigneur  ranked  as  Enfants  de  France. 
"  One  must  have  guessed  that  the  children  belonged  to  him," 
says  the  Palatine,  "  for  he  lived  like  a  stranger  among  them. 
He  never  called  them  his  sons,  but  the  Due  de  Bourgogne,  the 
Due  d'Anjou,  the  Due  de  Berry;  and  they,  in  turn,  always 
called  him  Monseigneur."  In  1690  they  lost  their  mother, 
the  Dauphine  of  Bavaria.  The  Due  de  Bourgogne  was  then 
eight  years  old,  the  Due  d'Anjou  seven,  and  the  Due  de  Berry 
four.  Up  to  the  age  of  seven  they  were  under  the  control  of 
their  governess,  the  Marechale  de  la  Mothe ;  then  they  passed 
into  the  hands  of  governors,  tutors,  and  valets.  They  saw 
their  father,  as  a  rule,  on  state  occasions. 

LOUIS  OF  FRANCE,  DUC  DE  BOURGOGNE 

In  1682  the  Dauphine  of  Bavaria  occupied  apartments  at  the 
end  of  the  south  wing  of  the  chateau,  and  there,  on  the  6th  of 
August  of  that  year,  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  was  born.  The 
Mercure  gives  in  detail  the  anxiety  and  the  joy  which  at- 
tended the  coming  of  this  first  grandson  of  the  King  of 
France. 

272 


The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 

"  On  Tuesday,  the  4th  of  August,  Mme.  la  Dauphine  began 
to  feel  some  pain.  It  was  late,  and  she  preferred  to  suffer 
without  complaining  than  to  force  all  the  court  to  pass  the 
night  without  sleep.  But  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  her 
pains  increased,  and  the  rumor  was  spread  abroad.  Mon- 
seigneur  remained  in  her  chamber  throughout  the  night. 
All  Versailles  learned  the  news.  Judge  of  the  agitation  in  a 
court  as  large  as  that  of  France.  All  was  in  motion.  The 
princes  and  princesses  of  the  blood,  who  had  not  yet  gone  to 
bed,  came  at  once  to  the  apartments  of  Mme.  la  Dauphine; 
the  others  were  awakened,  and  came  shortly  after.  Couriers 
were  despatched  to  summon  those  who  had  gone  to  Paris. 
Relays  of  horses  were  sent  out  on  the  road.  It  was  as  light 
as  day  in  the  chateau,  owing  to  the  quantity  of  torches  car- 
ried for  those  who  were  going  and  coming.  All  the  court 
was  aroused  by  the  noise  in  the  antechambers  and  in  the 
gallery. 

"  As  it  appeared  that  Mme.  la  Dauphine  would  not  be  de- 
livered immediately,  they  did  not  wish  to  wake  the  king,  but 
at  five  in  the  morning  it  was  thought  proper  to  inform  him  of 
the  state  of  the  princess.  He  rose  at  once,  but  in  place  of 
hastening  to  her  apartments  and  appearing  alarmed,  he  dis- 
played his  customary  prudence  and  moderation.  He  thought 
that,  at  a  time  when  prayers  were  necessary  to  call  down  the 
grace  of  Heaven,  the  first  thing  that  ought  to  be  done  was  to 
hear  mass.  He  had  it  said,  and  about  six  in  the  morning  he 
went  to  see  in  what  state  affairs  were.  The  crowd  increased 
at  every  moment,  and  those  for  whom  the  couriers  had  been 
sent  arrived  constantly.  One  could  have  said  that  all  the 
court,  and  all  the  nobility  of  France,  surrounded  the  apart- 
ment of  Mme.  la  Dauphine;  it  was  impossible  to  approach; 
the  rest  of  the  chateau  appeared  deserted.  At  nine  o'clock 
the  king,  seeing  that  the  pains  of  Mme.  la  Dauphine  were  very 
slight,  left  her  chamber  to  go  to  the  council.     The  majority 

273 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

of  the  princes  and  princesses  had  been  up  all  night,  and  al- 
though a  large  number  of  people  of  rank  retired,  others  came 
constantly,  so  that  the  crush  continued,  and  the  crowd  seemed 
even  larger  than  before.  ...  At  the  end  of  the  afternoon 
Mme.  la  Dauphine  experienced  violent  pains.  The  king  was 
informed,  and  came  at  once.  The  greater  part  of  the  am- 
bassadors, envoys,  and  foreign  princes,  having  learned  of 
what  was  taking  place,  had  come  to  Versailles  to  learn  the 
news  of  the  birth  the  moment  it  should  be  announced,  and  in- 
form their  sovereigns  the  same  hour.  The  road  was  more 
and  more  crowded  with  those  who  were  going  and  coming 
between  Paris  and  Versailles.  There  were  couriers  and  car- 
riages everywhere.  The  same  thing  was  seen  for  some  time 
after  the  birth  of  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne,  since  all 
people  of  quality  came  to  testify  their  joy  to  Their  Majesties. 
.  .  .  The  queen  and  the  princesses  of  the  blood  tried  con- 
stantly to  render  to  Mme.  la  Dauphine  all  the  services  that 
women  can  give  on  such  an  occasion.  The  king  and  Mon- 
seigneur  forgot  nothing  on  their  side.  As  her  pains  did  not 
cease,  they  passed  the  night  there  without  undressing.  No- 
thing could  be  more  tender  than  the  king's  attitude  toward 
the  princess.  .  .  .  While  Mme.  la  Dauphine  suffered  most, 
she  said  to  the  king  that,  after  having  known  so  good  a  fa- 
ther and  so  good  a  husband,  it  would  be  hard  for  her  to  leave 
them.  The  king  encouraged  her,  and  told  her  he  would  be 
content  to  have  a  girl,  provided  she  might  suffer  less  and  be 
soon  delivered.  .  .  .  On  Thursday  morning  the  king  went  to 
mass,  and  although  he  had  been  up  all  night,  he  did  not  omit 
to  hold  his  council  as  usual.  He  had  spent  two  days  and  al- 
most two  nights  between  his  prayers,  his  duties  of  state,  and 
his  tenderness  for  Mme.  la  Dauphine.  .  .  . 

"  Although  the  chamber  was  filled  with  the  princes  and 
princesses  of  the  blood,  and  a  large  number  of  other  people 
whose  presence  was  necessary  for  the  service,  the  king,  judg- 

274 


The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 

ing  that  the  moment  of  the  delivery  was  near,  and  with  that 
presence  of  mind  which  never  fails  him,  saw  at  a  glance,  in 
spite  of  the  number  of  persons  crowded  in  the  chamber,  that 
M.  le  Prince  de  Conti  was  not  there.  He  gave  orders  that  he 
should  be  summoned  immediately.  There  were  then  in  the 
chamber  the  king,  the  queen,  Mgr.  le  Dauphin,  Monsieur, 
Madame,  Mile.  d'Orleans,  and  all  the  princes  and  princesses 
of  the  blood  whose  rank  gave  them  the  right  to  be  present. 
There  were  also  many  ladies  of  the  palace  whose  posts  gave 
them  the  privilege,  or  who  were  in  the  service  of  Mme.  la 
Dauphine.  Although  no  one  moved,  each  one  appeared  rest- 
less. A  low  murmur  was  heard  in  all  parts  of  the  chamber. 
Anxiety  mingled  with  joy  reigned.  Meanwhile  the  severe 
pains  of  the  delivery  redoubled.  People  became  alarmed. 
M.  Clement,  who  had  come  to  deliver  the  princess,  had  need 
to  be  more  alarmed  than  they,  for  her  and  for  himself.  The 
presence  of  the  king  might  have  intimidated  him,  and  the 
fear  of  doing  his  work  badly  might  have  prevented  him  from 
accomplishing  it;  but  none  of  these  things  made  any  impres- 
sion on  him.  He  forgot  both  the  place  where  he  was,  and  the 
rank  of  the  person  whom  he  attended,  and  he  acquitted  him- 
self so  well  that  the  king  said  afterward  that  he  noticed  that 
Clement  was  cool.  While  all  were  attentive,  Mme.  la  Dau- 
phine was  delivered  at  quarter  past  ten  in  the  evening. 

"  The  king,  who  feared  that,  if  Mme.  la  Dauphine  were  de- 
livered of  a  prince  and  informed  of  it  at  once,  the  excess  of 
her  joy  would  be  dangerous  for  her,  had  arranged  with 
Clement  some  words  by  which  His  Majesty  was  to  be  in- 
formed of  the  sex  of  the  child.  Clement  pronounced  them, 
but  the  tone  of  his  voice  and  his  eyes  betrayed  him.  Mon- 
sieur comprehended  the  ruse.  He  said  at  once  what  he  had 
discovered.  His  Majesty  immediately  announced  the  news, 
and  named  the  prince  Due  de  Bourgogne. 

"  The  excitement  which  followed  can  hardly  be  described. 

275 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Those  who  were  in  the  chamber  neither  knew  what  they  said 
nor  what  they  did,  and  under  such  circumstances  they  could 
not  relate  what  others  did.  Two  doors  were  opened  at  the 
same  time  to  announce  the  grand  news.  The  king  opened 
one,  and  said  to  the  princesses,  duchesses,  and  ladies  of  the 
palace,  '  It  is  a  prince ! '  At  the  same  time  a  lady  of  honor  in- 
formed the  noblemen  who  were  in  the  other  antechamber. 
The  shouts  which  followed,  and  the  commotion,  were  tre- 
mendous. Some  broke  through  the  crowd  to  spread  the  news 
on  every  side;  others,  without  knowing  exactly  where  they 
were  or  what  they  did,  were  transported.  There  were  tears 
of  joy,  animosities  were  forgotten,  people  embraced  those 
nearest  them,  without  distinction  of  rank.  Many  valets 
found  themselves,  without  knowing  how  they  got  there,  in 
the  antechamber  with  the  princes  and  the  ladies  of  the  pal- 
ace. .  .  .  Nothing  could  equal  the  zeal  and  activity  of  M. 
d'Ormoy.  He  traversed  the  antechambers,  he  ran  up  and 
down  the  staircases,  shouting  everywhere  that  it  was  a  prince, 
and  he  shouted  so  much  that  for  some  time  afterward  he 
could  hardly  speak.  .  .  .  Finally,  after  so  much  anxiety, 
fatigue,  alarm,  and  joy,  it  was  time  to  leave  Mme.  la  Dau- 
phine  in  repose.  On  leaving  her  chamber,  the  king  had  to 
encounter  transports  of  joy  to  which  a  prince  less  affable  than 
the  king  could  not  easily  have  adjusted  himself.  He  had  to 
pass  through  the  midst  of  all  those  who  formed  the  court  of 
France,  great  lords  and  others,  and  the  joy  of  the  crowd  was 
such  that  they  all  tried  to  throw  themselves  at  his  feet  and 
embrace  his  knees.  Those  who  at  another  time  would  not 
have  dared  to  approach  so  near,  now,  animated  by  an  excess 
of  joy,  threw  themselves  with  the  rest.  Whatever  incon- 
venience the  king  may  have  suffered,  he  bore  all  with  an  air 
so  affable  that  the  boldness  of  those  who  might  have  been 
timid  was  increased.  In  fact,  the  king  was  carried  from  the 
apartments  of  Mme.  la  Dauphine  to  the  antechamber  of  the 
queen,  where  he  supped. 

276 


The  Due  and  Duehesse  de  Bourgogne 

"  A  guard  of  the  king,  sleeping  on  his  straw  mattress,  was 
aroused  by  the  tumult,  and  having  learned  the  cause,  he  took 
his  mattress  on  his  back  and  ran  at  once  to  the  first  courtyard, 
where  he  set  the  mattress  on  fire.  Other  soldiers  followed 
his  example,  bringing  in  their  zeal  whatever  they  could  lay 
hands  on,  benches  and  tables  even.  .  .  .  The  king,  who  saw 
in  passing  this  agreeable  disorder,  said,  '  Let  them  do  what 
they  like,  provided  they  do  not  burn  us.'  " 

In  spite  of  the  mediocrity  of  his  parents,  the  Due  de  Bour- 
gogne had  intellect;  perhaps  he  got  that  from  his  grand- 
father. At  any  rate,  he  had  it,  but  for  a  time  it  seemed  that 
nothing  would  come  of  it. 

In  his  youth  he  was  "  impetuous  with  frenzy ;  passionately 
fond  of  all  kinds  of  voluptuousness,  of  women,  of  wine,  good 
living,  hunting,  music,  gambling,  in  which  last  he  could  not 
endure  to  be  beaten ;  in  fine,  abandoned  to  every  passion,  and 
transported  by  every  pleasure.  He  looked  down  upon  all 
men  as  from  the  sky,  as  atoms  with  whom  he  had  nothing  in 
common;  even  his  brothers  scarcely  appeared  connecting- 
links  between  himself  and  human  nature,  although  all  three 
had  been  educated  together  in  perfect  equality."  ^  Up  to  the 
age  of  fifteen,  when  he  was  married  to  Marie  Adelaide  of 
Savoy,  he  gave  every  indication  of  becoming  the  worst  of  the 
Bourbons. 

His  intelligence,  and  the  teaching  of  Fenelon,  saved  him. 
"  God,  who  is  master  of  all  hearts,"  says  Saint-Simon, 
"  worked  a  miracle  in  this  prince  between  his  eighteenth  and 
twentieth  years.  From  the  abyss  he  came  out  affable,  gentle, 
moderate,  penitent,  and  humble,  austere  even,  more  than  har- 
monized with  his  position."  In  fact  the  pendulum  swung  so 
far  the  other  way  that,  for  a  time,  he  was  sanctimonious  and 
absurd.  "  On  one  occasion  he  refused  to  be  present  at  a  ball 
on  Twelfth-Night,  and  in  various  ways  made  himself  ridic- 
ulous at  court."     But  he  righted  himself  at  last,  and  when, 

'  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  218. 
277 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

in  171 1,  he  became  Dauphin  of  France,  he  had  run  the  gantlet 
at  the  two  extremes  of  profligacy  and  piety,  he  had  found  his 
poise,  he  had  struck  his  gait,  and  he  was  working  in  earnest 
to  fit  himself  for  kingship.  "  He  applied  himself  to  the 
studies  which  were  necessary  in  order  to  instruct  himself  in 
public  affairs.  .  .  .  He  tried  to  fathom  men,  to  draw  from 
them  the  instruction  and  light  he  could  hope  for.  .  .  .  He 
was  without  verbiage,  compliments,  prefaces,  or  other  hin- 
drances ;  he  went  straight  to  the  point,  and  allowed  you  to  go 
also.  .  .  .  He  became  on  a  sudden  easy  and  frank,  showing 
himself  in  public  on  all  occasions,  conversing  right  and  left 
in  a  gay,  agreeable,  and  dignified  manner,  presiding,  in  fact, 
over  the  salon  of  Marly.  In  a  short  time  hunting  became  a 
less  usual  topic  of  conversation;  history  and  even  science 
were  touched  upon  lightly,  in  a  manner  that  charmed  while  it 
instructed.  The  dauphin  spoke  with  an  eloquent  freedom 
that  opened  all  eyes  and  hearts.  It  is  astonishing  with  what 
rapidity  he  gained  universal  esteem  and  admiration.  The 
public  joy  could  not  keep  silent.  People  asked  each  other  if 
this  was  really  the  same  man  they  had  known  as  Due  de  Bour- 
gogne.  .  .  .  The  king  wished  to  give  him  50,000  livres  a 
month,  Monseigneur  having  had  that  sum.  He  would  not 
accept  them.  He  had  6000  livres  a  month ;  he  was  satisfied 
with  double  that  amount,  and  would  not  receive  more.  This 
disinterestedness  much  pleased  the  public.  He  wished  for 
nothing  special  on  his  account,  and  persisted  in  remaining  in 
nearly  everything  as  he  was  during  the  life  of  Monseigneur. 
These  auguries  of  a  prudent  reign  suggested  the  brightest  of 
hopes." 

It  was  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  who  dared  to  say  openly  in 
the  salon  of  Marly,  "  The  king  is  made  for  his  subjects,  not 
the  subjects  for  the  king."  Fate  never  gave  him  an  oppor- 
tunity to  put  those  words  in  practice,  and  with  him  perished 
the  best  hope  for  the  future  of  the  House  of  Bourbon. 

278 


The  Due  and  Duehesse  de  Bourgogne 

THE  DUCHESSE  DE  BOURGOGNE 

Of  all  the  women  of  the  court  the  Duehesse  de  Bourgogne 
seems  to  have  had  the  most  charming  disposition  and  the  most 
lovable  nature.  She  stands  in  a  place  apart.  In  1696  the 
King  of  France  asked  the  Duke  of  Savoy  for  the  hand  of  his 
daughter,  Marie  Adelaide,  on  behalf  of  Louis,  Due  de  Bour- 
gogne. The  Princess  of  Savoy  was  then  a  child  of  eleven 
years;  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  was  a  boy  of  fourteen.  By 
the  terms  of  the  compact  made  with  the  Duke  of  Savoy,  the 
princess  was  to  be  married  when  she  had  completed  her 
twelfth  year.  Marriages  of  children  of  rank  were  not  un- 
common, but  for  several  years  after  such  marriages  the  con- 
tracting parties  were  not  allowed  to  live  together.  Louis 
XIV  went  in  state  to  Montargis  to  meet  the  future  grand- 
daughter-in-law,  who  for  the  next  fifteen  years  was  to  play 
so  important  a  part  in  his  life.  He  met  her  on  Sunday,  the 
4th  of  November,  and  the  letter  he  wrote  to  Madame  de 
Maintenon  on  that  day  is  interesting,  not  only  because  the 
king  himself  gives  his  first  impressions,  but  also  because  the 
person  in  question  was  a  child  of  eleven  years. 

"  I  arrived  here  (Montargis)  before  five  o'clock,"  says  the 
king.  "  The  princess  did  not  come  till  nearly  six.  I  went  to 
receive  her  at  her  carriage.  She  let  me  speak  first,  and  after- 
ward she  replied  extremely  well,  but  with  a  little  embarrass- 
ment that  would  have  pleased  you.  I  led  her  to  her  room 
through  the  crowd,  letting  her  be  seen  from  time  to  time  by 
making  the  torches  come  nearer  to  her  face.  She  bore  that 
march  and  the  lights  with  grace  and  modesty.  At  last  we 
reached  her  room,  where  there  was  a  crowd  and  heat  enough 
to  kill  us.  I  showed  her  now  and  then  to  those  who  ap- 
proached us,  and  considered  her  in  every  way  in  order  to  write 
you  what  I  think  of  her.  She  has  the  best  grace  and  the 
prettiest  figure  I  have  ever  seen.     Dressed  for  a  painter,  and 

279 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

hair  the  same ;  eyes  very  bright  and  very  beautiful,  the  lashes 
black  and  admirable;  complexion  very  even,  white  and  red, 
all  that  one  could  wish;  the  finest  blond  hair  that  was  ever 
seen,  and  in  great  quantity.  She  is  thin,  but  that  belongs  to 
her  years.  Her  mouth  is  rosy ;  the  lips  full ;  the  teeth  white, 
long,  and  ill  placed;  her  hands  well  shaped,  but  of  the  color 
of  her  age.  She  speaks  little,  as  far  as  I  have  seen,  and  is  not 
embarrassed  when  looked  at,  like  a  person  who  has  seen  the 
world.  She  curtsies  badly,  with  rather  an  Italian  air;  she 
has  also  something  of  an  Italian  in  her  face.  But  she  pleases ; 
I  saw  that  in  the  eyes  of  those  present.  As  for  me,  I  am 
wholly  satisfied.  She  resembles  her  first  portrait,  not  the 
second.  To  speak  to  you  as  I  always  do,  I  must  tell  you  that 
I  find  her  all  that  could  be  wished.  I  should  be  sorry  if  she 
were  handsomer.  We  supped,  and  she  did  not  fail  in  any- 
thing, and  had  a  charming  politeness  to  every  one.  To  me 
and  to  my  son  she  behaved  as  you  might  have  done.  Her  air 
is  noble;  her  manners  polished  and  agreeable.  I  have  plea- 
sure in  telling  you  such  good  of  her,  for  I  find  that  without 
prepossession  or  flattery  I  can  do  so,  and  everything  obliges 
me  to  do  so." 

When  one  considers  who  the  writer  of  this  letter  was,  and 
his  standards  of  etiquette,  such  praise  of  so  young  a  girl  is 
astonishing,  and  speaks  volumes  for  her  home  training. 

The  little  Princess  of  Savoy  was  established  at  Versailles, 
and  the  impression  she  made  on  Madame  de  Maintenon  was 
jnot  less  favorable  than  that  she  had  made  on  the  king.  "  Her 
cajoleries,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  soon  bewitched  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  whom  she  called  her  '  aunt,'  and  whom  she 
treated  with  a  respect,  and  yet  with  a  freedom,  that  ravished 
everybody.  She  became  the  doll  of  Madame  de  Maintenon 
and  the  king,  pleased  them  infinitely  by  her  insinuating  spirit, 
and  took  greater  liberties  with  them  than  the  children  of  the 
king  had  ever  dared  to  attempt." 

280 


The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 

On  the  6th  of  December,  1697,  the  princess  completed  her 
twelfth  year,  and  on  the  following  day  she  became  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne.  "  The  marriage  was  fixed  for  Saturday,  the 
/th  of  December,  and  to  avoid  disputes  and  difficulties,  the 
king  suppressed  all  ceremonies.  At  an  early  hour  all  the 
court  went  to  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne,  who  went  after- 
ward to  the  princess.  A  little  before  midday  the  procession 
started  from  the  grand  salon  ^  and  proceeded  to  the  chapel. 
Cardinal  de  Coislin  performed  the  marriage  service.  As 
soon  as  the  ceremony  was  finished,  a  courier,  ready  at  the 
door  of  the  chapel,  started  for  Turin.  The  King  and  Queen 
of  England  came  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  some 
time  afterward  supper  was  served.  Upon  rising  from  table, 
the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was  shown  to  her  bed,  none  but 
ladies  being  allowed  to  remain  in  the  chamber.  Her  chemise 
was  given  her  by  the  Queen  of  England,  through  the 
Duchesse  de  Lude.  The  Due  de  Bourgogne  undressed  in 
another  room,  in  the  midst  of  all  the  court,  seated  upon  a 
folding-chair.  The  King  of  England  gave  him  his  shirt, 
which  was  presented  by  the  Due  de  Beauvilliers.  As  soon  as 
the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was  in  bed,  the  duke  entered,  and 
placed  himself  at  her  side,  in  the  presence  of  all  the  court. 
Immediately  afterward  everybody  went  away  from  the  nup- 
tial chamber,  except  Monseigneur,  the  ladies  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne,  and  the  Due  de  Beauvilliers,  who  remained  at 
the  pillow  by  the  side  of  his  pupil,  with  the  Duchesse  de  Lude 
on  the  other  side.  Monseigneur  stopped  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
talking  with  the  newly  married  couple,  and  then  made  his  son 
get  up,  after  having  told  him  to  kiss  the  princess,  in  spite  of 
the  opposition  of  the  Duchesse  de  Lude.  As  it  proved,  too, 
her  opposition  was  not  wrong.  The  king  had  said  he  did  not 
wish  that  his  grandson  should  kiss  the  end  of  the  princess's 
finger  until  they  were  completely  on  the  footing  of  man  and 

^  The  salon  of  Peace. 
281 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

wife.  The  young  couple  were  not,  indeed,  allowed  to  live 
together  as  man  and  wife  until  two  years  afterward.  The 
Due  de  Bourgogne  redressed  himself  in  the  antechamber,  and 
went  to  his  own  bed  as  usual.  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
continued  to  live  just  as  before,  and  her  ladies  had  strict 
orders  never  to  leave  her  alone  with  her  husband.  .  ,  .  The 
marriage-fetes  spread  over  several  days.  On  Sunday  there 
was  an  assembly  in  the  apartments  of  the  new  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne.  It  was  magnificent  by  the  prodigious  number  of 
ladies  seated  in  a  circle,  or  standing  behind  the  stools,  gen- 
tlemen in  turn  behind  them,  and  the  dresses  of  all  beautiful. 
It  commenced  at  six  o'clock.  The  king  came  at  the  end,  and 
led  all  the  ladies  into  the  salon  ^  near  the  chapel,  where  there 
was  a  fine  collation  and  the  music.  At  nine  o'clock  he  con- 
ducted the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  to  the  apart- 
ment of  the  latter,  and  all  was  finished  for  the  day.  .  .  .  On 
Wednesday  there  was  a  grand  ball  in  the  gallery,  superbly 
ornamented  for  the  occasion.  There  was  such  a  crowd,  and 
such  disorder,  that  even  the  king  was  inconvenienced,  and 
Monsieur  was  pushed  and  knocked  about  in  the  crush.  How 
other  people  fared  may  be  imagined.  No  place  was  kept, 
strength  or  chance  decided  everything,  people  squeezed  in 
where  they  could.  This  spoiled  all  the  fete.  .  .  .  On  the  fol- 
lowing Sunday  there  was  another  ball,  but  this  time  matters 
were  so  arranged  that  no  crowding  or  inconvenience  occurred. 
The  ball  commenced  at  seven  o'clock,  and  was  admirable. 
Everybody  appeared  in  dresses  that  had  not  previously  been 
seen.  The  king  found  that  of  Madame  de  Saint-Simon  much 
to  his  taste,  and  gave  it  the  palm  over  all  the  others.  Madame 
de  Maintenon  did  not  appear  at  these  balls,  at  least  only  for 
half  an  hour  at  each.  On  the  following  Tuesday  all  the 
court  went  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  to  Trianon,  where 
all  gambled  until  the  arrival  of  the  King  and  Queen  of  Eng- 

*  The  salon  of  Mars. 
282 


The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 

land.  The  king  took  them  into  the  theater,  where  Des- 
touches's  opera  of  7^^^  was  very  well  performed.  The  opera 
being  finished,  everybody  went  his  way,  and  thus  these  mar- 
riage-fetes were  brought  to  an  end."  ^ 

But  the  life  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  had  just  begun. 
For  fifteen  years  she  was  to  be  the  pet  of  the  court  and  the 
joy  of  the  king.  Never  since  he  entered  the  world  had  the 
Grand  Monarch  been  on  anything  like  familiar  terms  with 
another  human  being;  even  in  his  love-making  days  he  had 
never  failed  to  be  the  king.  But  now  in  private  with  this 
amiable  and  lovable  child.  Sun  King  and  Grand  Monarch 
vanished,  and  Louis  was  a  man  and  a  grandfather.  "  In 
private,  she  clasped  the  king  round  the  neck  at  all  hours, 
jumped  upon  his  knees,  tormented  him  with  all  sorts  of 
sportiveness,  rummaged  among  his  papers,  opened  his  letters 
and  read  them  in  his  presence,  sometimes  in  spite  of  him, 
and  acted  in  the  same  manner  with  Madame  de  Maintenon. 
Despite  this  extreme  liberty,  she  never  spoke  against  any  one ; 
gracious  to  all,  she  endeavored  to  ward  off  blows  from  all 
whenever  she  could ;  was  attentive  to  all  the  private  comforts 
of  the  king,  even  the  humblest ;  kind  to  all  who  served,  and 
living  with  her  ladies,  as  with  friends,  in  complete  liberty,  old 
and  young ;  she  was  the  darling  of  the  court,  adored  by  all ; 
everybody  missed  her  when  she  was  away;  when  she  reap- 
peared the  void  was  filled  up;  everybody,  great  and  small, 
was  anxious  to  please  her;  in  a  word,  she  had  attached  all 
hearts  to  herself.  .  .  .  The  king  really  could  not  do  without 
her.  Everything  went  wrong  with  him  if  she  was  not  by; 
even  at  his  public  supper,  if  she  were  away,  an  additional 
cloud  of  seriousness  and  silence  settled  around  him.  She 
took  great  care  to  see  him  every  day  upon  arriving  and  de- 
parting, and  if  some  ball  in  winter,  or  some  pleasure-party  in 
summer,  made  her  lose  half  the  night,  she  nevertheless  ad- 

*  Saint-Simon,  I,  pp.  106-108. 
283 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

justed  things  so  well  that  she  went  and  embraced  the  king 
the  moment  he  was  up,  and  amused  him  with  a  description  of 
the  fete." 

The  year  after  her  marriage  (1698),  the  king  made  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  a  splendid  present,  nothing  less  than 
the  Menagerie  of  Versailles,  with  its  handsome  chateau, 
courts,  animals,  birds,  and  gardens.  The  young  duchess 
was  full  of  joy.  "  They  are  working  on  my  menagerie,"  she 
wrote  to  her  grandmother  (July  2,  1698).  "The  king  has 
ordered  Mansart  to  spare  nothing.  Imagine,  my  dear  grand- 
mama,  what  it  will  be !  But  I  shall  only  see  it  on  my  return 
from  Fontainebleau.  It  is  true  the  king's  kindnesses  to  me 
are  wonderful;  but,  also,  I  love  him  well."  The  duchess 
took  delight  in  her  little  domain,  supped  there  frequently  with 
her  ladies,  and  amused  herself  much.  She  went  to  see  the 
cows  milked,  and  in  her  dairy  she  made  butter  herself,  which 
was  served  to  the  king  at  table,  and  which  His  Majesty  pro- 
nounced excellent.  In  March,  1703,  the  king  came  to  see 
the  improvements  made  at  the  Menagerie,  in  company  with 
the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  and  the  Due  du  Maine. 
In  the  following  year  the  duchess  received  there  Madame  de 
Maintenon  and  the  Duke  of  Mantua,  and  in  1705  the  Prince 
of  England,  his  sister,  and  the  ladies  of  the  court  at  St. 
Germain.  The  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  the  Due  de  Berry 
came  constantly,  and  in  summer  the  king  supped  there  fre- 
quently with  the  duchess  and  her  ladies.  She  amused  herself 
greatly.  She  fished  in  the  grand  canal,  gave  picnics  and 
suppers,  played  cards  and  danced  in  her  chateau,  and  took 
donkey-rides  in  the  park.  When  she  was  permitted  to  mount 
a  horse  in  1707,  she  was  overjoyed.  On  the  13th  of  June  of 
that  year,  she  gave  a  riding  party,  consisting  of  four  of  her 
ladies,  her  brother-in-law,  the  Due  de  Berry,  her  husband, 
and  herself.  They  went  at  a  gallop  to  Breteche,  and  on  the 
return  Mme.  de  Lorges  had  a  rude  fall.     There  were  new 

284 


Alarie  Adelaide,  Duchesse  de  Bdurj-ogne 


The  Due  and  Duehesse  de  Bourgogne 

riding  parties  at  once,  and  the  duchess  and  her  ladies,  who  do 
not  seem  to  have  been  sure  of  themselves,  tried  mounting 
astride,  man-fashion,  to  hold  on  better.  They  learned,  how- 
ever, and  on  the  29th  of  August,  1707,  went,  in  grand  caval- 
cade, to  Chaville  to  sup  with  Monseigneur,  the  Princesse  de 
Conti,  and  Mme.  la  Duehesse. 

But  Mme.  la  Duehesse  de  Bourgogne  had  not  been  brought 
from  Savoy  to  France  to  make  butter  or  to  ride  horseback, 
but  to  give  heirs  to  the  crown.  On  the  25th  of  June,  1704, 
she  did  her  duty  bravely,  and  with  all  ceremony,  in  the  queen's 
state  bedchamber  at  Versailles.  The  Mercure  Galant  gives 
the  following  account  of  the  birth  of  her  first  child,  the  Due 
de  Bretagne : 

"On  the  25th  of  June,  Mme.  la  Duehesse  de  Bourgogne 
commenced  to  feel  some  pains,  which  increased  a  little  toward 
noon,  became  stronger  at  half-past  one,  and  from  three  o'clock 
until  shortly  after  five,  when  the  princess  was  delivered,  were 
very  strong  and  very  frequent.  She  had  had  one  about  three 
o'clock  which  caused  her  to  cry  aloud,  so  that  some  people 
thought  she  was  delivered.  One  of  the  valets  of  the  Cham- 
ber, having  heard  M.  Clement,  the  accoucheur,  pronounce 
distinctly  these  words,  *  I  have  it,'  thought  that  he  spoke  of  a 
prince  that  he  was  persuaded  the  princess  was  about  to  give 
birth  to.  M.  Clement,  however,  spoke  only  of  a  cushion  that 
he  had  asked  for.  The  valet  of  the  Chamber,  excited  by  his 
zeal,  ran  to  the  little  apartment  of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne, 
where  the  duke  had  determined  to  remain  while  the  duchess 
was  in  labor,  and  told  him  that  Mme.  la  Duehesse  de  Bour- 
gogne had  been  delivered  of  a  prince.  In  an  instant  all  the 
apartments  of  the  Duehesse  de  Bourgogne  were  filled  with  a 
crowd,  brought  together  by  this  great  news,  which  at  the 
same  time  spread  all  over  Versailles,  where  they  lighted  a 
quantity  of  fire.  Orders  were  sent  at  once  to  stop  the  illu- 
mination, but  it  was  too  late  to  stop  many  couriers  who  had 

285 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

been  despatched  to  Paris  with  the  good  news.  Before  the 
Due  de  Bourgogne  was  undeceived,  the  Due  d'Albe,  the  am- 
bassador of  Spain,  threw  himself  at  the  feet  of  that  prince, 
for  whom  he  had  particular  respect,  and  said  to  him,  embra- 
cing his  knees,  that  after  the  joy  he  had  in  seeing  him  a  father 
nothing  would  be  wanting  to  his  happiness  if  he  could  see  his 
master,  the  King  of  Spain,^  a  father  also.  The  Due  de 
Bourgogne  replied :  *  I  know,  monsieur,  that  your  joy  re- 
sponds to  mine.  This  is  a  happy  day  for  both  of  us.  I  hope 
for  one  of  the  same  sort  for  the  King  of  Spain,'  He  learned 
at  that  moment  that  his  joy  was  premature,  which  gave  him 
grief;  but  all  was  forgotten  at  five  o'clock,  when  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was  delivered  after  having  borne  her 
pains  with  wonderful  courage.  The  king  remained  con- 
stantly by  her  side,  with  Monseigneur,  and  all  the  princes 
and  princesses,  M,  Clement  was  somewhat  troubled  when 
the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was  delivered,  because  the  child 
did  not  cry;  and  for  some  moments  there  was  silence.  The 
king  whispered  in  M,  Clement's  ear  and  asked  what  the  child's 
sex  was.  He  answered  in  a  low  tone  that  it  was  a  boy.  The 
king  asked  if  he  could  declare  it,  Mme.  de  Bourgogne,  who 
was  watching  the  king,  spoke,  and  said  that  she  knew  from 
His  Majesty's  expression  of  face  that  it  was  a  boy.  The  fact 
was  immediately  announced  aloud  in  the  chamber.  The  king 
then  said,  '  This  is  the  fourteenth  Clement  has  given  me.'  To 
which  Clement  answered  that  he  hoped  to  give  him  other 
children  in  the  future.  M.  le  Due  de  Berry  announced  the 
news  to  the  Due  de  Bourgogne,  and  embraced  him.  The 
Papal  Nuncio  was  the  first  foreign  minister  who  entered,  and 
was  the  first  to  compliment  His  Majesty  upon  this  happy 
birth.  The  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Albe  then  entered ;  the  duke 
said  to  the  king  that  the  good  fortune  of  France  was  a  happi- 
ness for  Spain,  and  that  personally  nothing  touched  him  more 
^  Philippe  V,  brother  of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne. 
286 


The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 

than  to  see  the  king  a  great-grandfather,  Monseigneur  a 
grandfather,  and  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  a  father.  The  king 
repHed  that  he  thanked  him  for  his  sentiments,  that  he  knew 
they  were  sincere,  and  that  he  was  persuaded  that  this  good 
fortune  would  be  celebrated  in  Spain.  The  king  then  went  to 
the  door  of  the  bedchamber,  and  announced  the  news  to  the 
courtiers  who  filled  the  grand  cabinet,  and  received  their  con- 
gratulations. He  told  them  that  he  had  given  the  infant  the 
name  of  Due  de  Bretagne. 

"  Meanwhile  the  young  prince  had  been  placed  in  a  swad- 
dling-cloth,  and  given  to  Mme.  la  Marechale  de  la  Mothe, 
who  carried  him  near  the  fire.  He  was  baptized  at  once  by 
the  Cardinal  de  Coislin,  in  the  presence  of  the  cure  of  Ver- 
sailles ;  after  which  he  was  wrapped  in  his  swaddling-clothes 
by  a  guard  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogpie.  The  prince 
seemed  healthy  and  strong.  The  Marechale  de  la  Mothe  car- 
ried him  then  to  the  Due  de  Bourgogne,  who  kissed  him. 
Afterward  she  carried  him  to  the  door  of  the  bedchamber, 
where  were  the  sedan-chair  and  porters  of  the  king.  She 
entered  the  chair,  and  held  the  prince  on  her  knees ;  the  Mare- 
chal  de  Noailles  conducted  him;  and  he  was  borne  thus 
through  the  apartments  to  the  room  prepared  for  him.  Later 
the  king  sent  him  the  blue  ribbon  and  the  cross  of  the  Order 
of  St.  Esprit.  .  .  .  Then  His  Majesty  said  that  he  must  go  to 
thank  God  for  this  grace,  and  went  to  chapel  with  the  Due  de 
Bourgogne.  They  remained  there  in  prayer  three  quarters  of 
an  hour.  On  coming  out  of  chapel  the  king  held  his  council 
with  his  ministers,  for  His  Majesty  never  postpones  the  busi- 
ness of  the  state." 

But,  to  the  great  grief  of  the  duchess,  this  boy,  whose  birth 
caused  so  much  rejoicing,  died  in  the  following  year.  On  the 
8th  of  January,  1707,  a  second  son  was  born,  who  also  took 
the  title  Due  de  Bretagne.  He  died  in  17 12,  some  few  weeks 
after  his  mother  and  father.     Her  third  son,  who  was  to  live 

287 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

and  reign  as  Louis  XV,  saw  the  light  on  the  15th  of  February, 
1 7 10.  It  was  of  him  that  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  wrote 
to  her  grandmother  on  the  24th  of  March  of  that  year :  "  I 
was  most  agreeably  mistaken,  my  dear  grandmother,  in  giv- 
ing you  another  grandson.  He  is  the  prettiest  child  in  the 
world,  and  I  believe  he  will  become  a  great  beauty."  In  that 
she  was  not  mistaken.  He  grew  to  be  one  of  the  handsomest 
men  in  his  realm,  but  also  one  of  the  most  corrupt. 

The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  loved  the  theater,  and  was 
herself  a  good  actress.  Even  before  her  marriage,  on  the 
1 2th  of  January,  1697,  she  had  taken,  at  St.  Cyr,  the  role  of  a 
little  Israelite  in  the  tragedy  of  Esther,  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  king  and  Madame  de  Maintenon.  In  1699  ^^^  took  part 
in  a  number  of  performances  given  in  the  grand  cabinet  of 
Madame  de  Maintenon.  They  played  Jonathas  et  Absalon, 
tragedies  of  Duche,  the  Ceinture  Magique  of  Rousseau, 
Athalie,  and  Les  Precieuses  Ridicules.  The  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne,  the  Due  de  Chartres,  the  Comte  and  Comtesse 
d'Ayen,  and  the  young  Comte  de  Noailles,  all  magnificently 
attired,  had  the  chief  parts.  Baron,  the  old  actor,  instructed 
them  and  played  with  them.  The  minor  parts  were  taken  by 
domestics  of  M.  de  Noailles.  There  were  in  all  but  forty 
spectators  —  the  king,  Madame  de  Maintenon,  Monseigneur, 
the  Due  de  Bourgogne,  the  Due  de  Berry,  the  Princesse  de 
Conti,  the  Due  du  Maine,  and  some  ladies  of  the  palace.  In 
1702  the  Palatine,  then  in  mourning  for  Monsieur,  was  ad- 
mitted to  a  performance,  since  Madame  de  Maintenon  thought 
it  advisable  to  do  so,  after  that  scene  when  the  king  had  re- 
quested her  to  make  friends  with  the  Palatine.  In  a  letter, 
under  date  of  February  3,  1702,  to  the  King  of  Spain,  the 
Palatine  mentions  the  play.  "  Since  Your  Majesty  is  fond  of 
plays,  I  cannot  prevent  myself  from  telling  you  that  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  has  played  with  the  Comtesse  d'Ayen, 
Madame   de   Melun,   my   son,   the   Comte   d'Ayen,   Duche, 

288 


The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  as  Diana 


The  Due  and  Duehesse  de  Bourgogne 


Rousseau,  and  Baron.  I  assure  you,  monsieur,  that  they  did 
wonderfully  well.  All  this  took  place  in  private  in  the  cab- 
inet of  Madame  de  Maintenon.  The  king  gave  me  permis- 
sion to  see  it.  I  was  surprised  to  see  how  well  they  played. 
I  am  certain  that  Your  Majesty  would  be  astonished  to  see 
how  my  son  played,  and  the  Comte  d'Ayen.  This  play 
would  have  made  you  weep.  I  cried  like  a  fool,  and  the  king 
could  not  keep  back  some  tears  also.  The  subject  was  the 
death  of  Absalom." 

The  duchess  loved  jewels,  and  in  September,  1700,  the  king 
gave  her  a  necklace  of  twenty-one  pearls,  worth  50,000 
crowns.  Later  he  gave  her  a  supreme  mark  of  his  favor  and 
confidence.  "  The  king,"  says  Dangeau  (December  9,  17 10), 
"  has  left  to  Mme.  la  Duehesse  de  Bourgogne  the  entire  gov- 
ernment of  her  household,  and  the  disposition  of  all  the  places 
that  may  become  vacant.  He  had  never  done  so  for  the 
queen,  nor  for  Mme.  la  Dauphine."  ^  The  duchess  had  con- 
quered the  heart  of  her  royal  grandfather-in-law. 

The  secret  of  that  conquest  Saint-Simon  has  revealed: 
**'  She  spared  nothing,  not  even  her  health,  to  gain  the  king 
and  Madame  de  Maintenon.  Her  suppleness  toward  them 
was  without  example,  and  never  for  a  moment  was  at  fault. 
She  accompanied  it  with  all  the  discretion  that  her  knowledge 
of  them,  acquired  by  study  and  experience,  had  given  her, 
and  could  measure  their  dispositions  to  an  inch.  In  this  way 
she  had  acquired  a  familiarity  with  them  such  as  none  of  the 
king's  children  had  approached.  In  public,  serious,  mea- 
sured, with  the  king,  and  in  timid  decorum  with  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  whom  she  never  addressed  except  as  '  aunt,'  thus 
prettily  confounding  friendship  and  rank;  in  private,  prat- 
tling, skipping,  flying  around  them,  now  perched  upon  the 
sides  of  their  arm-chairs,  now  playing  upon  their  knees,  she 
clasped  them  round  the  neck,  embraced  them,  kissed  them, 

^  The  wife  of  Monseigneur. 
289 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

caressed  them,  rumpled  them,  tickled  them  under  the  chin, 
rummaged  their  tables  and  their  papers,  and  broke  open  their 
letters,  if  she  saw  that  her  waggeries  were  likely  to  be  re- 
ceived in  good  part,"  How  could  two  old  people,  burdened 
with  greatness,  bound  by  etiquette,  and  oppressed  with  care, 
resist  that  ?  But  this  triumph  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
was  not  a  thing  of  chance.  She  triumphed  not  only  because 
she  was  amiable,  light-hearted,  and  lovable,  but  because  she 
possessed  tact.  We  may  be  very  certain  that  she  never  broke 
open  a  letter  when  she  saw  that  her  playfulness  was  not  likely 
to  be  well  received,  and  that  she  never  rumpled  the  king  at  the 
wrong  moment.  She  was  sure  of  her  ground  always,  because 
she  "  had  measured  his  disposition  to  an  inch."  No  child  of 
his  had  ever  had  the  wit  to  do  that.  The  marvelous  girl  of 
eleven  years  whom  he  met  at  Montargis,  who  supped  with 
him,  and  who  "  did  not  fail  in  anything,"  did  not  fail  later, 
when  she  became  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne. 

With  the  court  her  triumph  was  not  less  complete.  "  Her 
skilful  father,  who  thoroughly  knew  our  court,  had  painted  it 
to  her,  and  had  made  her  acquainted  with  the  only  manner  of 
making  herself  happy  there.  From  the  first  moment  of  her 
arrival  she  had  acted  upon  his  lessons.  Gentle,  timid,  but 
adroit,  fearing  to  give  the  slightest  pain  to  anybody,  and 
though  all  lightness  and  vivacity,  very  capable  of  far-reaching 
views,  constraint,  even  to  annoyance,  cost  her  nothing,  though 
she  felt  all  its  weight.  Regularly  plain,  a  forehead  too  promi- 
nent, a  nose  without  meaning,  thick  biting  lips,  hair  and  eye- 
brows of  dark  chestnut,  and  well  planted,  the  most  speaking 
and  most  beautiful  eyes  in  the  world,  few  teeth,  and  those  de- 
cayed, about  which  she  was  the  first  to  talk  and  jest,  the  most 
beautiful  complexion  and  skin,  not  much  bosom,  but  what 
there  was  admirable,  her  head  carried  gallantly,  majestically, 
gracefully,  her  mien  noble,  her  smile  most  expressive,  her 
figure  long,  round,  slender,  easy,  perfectly  shaped,  her  walk 

290 


The  Due  and  Duehesse  de  Bourgogne 

that  of  a  goddess  upon  the  clouds,  with  such  quahfications  she 
pleased  supremely.  Grace  accompanied  her  every  step,  and 
shone  through  her  manners  and  her  most  ordinary  conversa- 
tion. An  air  always  simple  and  natural,  often  naive,  but  sea- 
soned with  wit,  this,  with  the  ease  peculiar  to  her,  charmed  all 
who  approached  her,  and  communicated  itself  to  them.  She 
wished  to  please  even  the  most  useless  and  the  most  ordinary 
persons,  and  yet  without  making  an  effort  to  do  so.  You  were 
tempted  to  believe  her  wholly  and  solely  devoted  to  those  with 
whom  she  found  herself.  Her  gaiety,  young,  quick,  and  ac- 
tive, animated  all,  and  her  nymph-like  lightness  carried  her 
everywhere,  like  a  whirlwind  which  fills  several  places  at  once, 
and  gives  them  movement  and  life.  She  was  the  ornament  of 
all  diversions,  the  life  and  soul  of  all  pleasure.  Complacency 
was  natural  to  her,  flowed  from  her,  and  was  exhibited  toward 
every  member  of  the  court."  ^  These  few  lines,  written  nearly 
two  centuries  ago  by  the  Due  de  Saint-Simon,  are  the  epi- 
taph of  Marie  Adelaide  of  Savoy.  She  did  nothing  great,  and 
she  died  young,  but  she  has  the  unique  honor  of  having  been 
the  one  person  who  drew  the  hearts  of  all  the  court  to  herself. 
The  pomp  and  rigidity  of  etiquette  never  hardened  her; 
flattery  never  spoiled  her;  hatred  and  malice  halted  at  the 
threshold  of  her  antechamber.  Grace  accompanied  her ;  com- 
placency flowed  from  her ;  she  sought  to  please  even  the  most 
useless,  even  the  most  humble. 

The  manner  in  which  she  became  Dauphine  of  France  has 
already  been  told.^  In  less  than  a  year  from  that  time,  she 
and  her  husband  died.  The  cause  of  their  deaths  is  still  un- 
certain. Saint-Simon  hints  at  poison,  and  mentions  a  box  of 
Spanish  snuff  presented  to  the  dauphine  a  week  before  she  died 
by  the  Due  de  Noailles.  On  the  other  hand,  no  snuff  was 
given  to  the  dauphin,  and  Saint-Simon  declares  emphatically 
that  he  could  never  believe  in  the  guilt  of  the  Due  de  Noailles. 
*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  216.  '  In  the  chapter  on  Monseigneur. 

291 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 


If  poison  was  used,  suspicion  seems  to  point  more  strongly  to 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  proud,  vicious,  drunken,  and  de- 
bauched. Both  the  children  of  the  dauphin  fell  ill,  and  one 
died ;  had  the  other  perished,  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Berry 
would  have  succeeded  to  the  throne.  But  there  is  no  proof 
that  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  attempted  this  wholesale  destruc- 
tion of  the  heirs  of  the  crown ;  and  it  was  too  much  the  fashion 
in  that  day  to  attribute  everjrthing  to  poison.  All  the  facts 
being  considered,  the  opinion  of  Dussieux  is  probably  correct, 
that  an  epidemic  of  measles,  then  raging  in  Paris  and  Ver- 
sailles, and  the  culpable  ignorance  of  the  doctors,  were  the 
causes.  With  this  view  the  Palatine  is  in  accord :  "  Chirac 
said  in  her  last  illness  that  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  would 
recover,  and  so  she  probably  would  have  done  if  they  had  not 
permitted  her  to  get  up  when  the  measles  had  broken  out  upon 
her  and  she  was  in  a  copious  perspiration.  Had  they  not  bled 
her  in  the  foot  she  might  have  been  alive  now  (171 6).  Im- 
mediately after  the  bleeding,  her  skin,  before  as  red  as  fire, 
changed  to  the  paleness  of  death,  and  she  became  very  ill. 
When  they  were  lifting  her  out  of  bed  I  told  them  it  was 
better  to  let  the  perspiration  subside  before  they  bled  her. 
Chirac  and  Fagon,  however,  were  obstinate  and  laughed  at 
me.  Old  Maintenon  said  to  me  angrily,  '  Do  you  think  you 
know  better  than  all  these  medical  men?  '  "  ^ 

The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  died  in  the  queen's  chamber  at 
Versailles  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  on  the  12th  of 
February,  17 12.  The  king,  who  was  with  her  until  the  end, 
"  mounted  into  his  coach  at  the  foot  of  the  marble  staircase, 
and  with  Madame  de  Maintenon  and  Madame  de  Caylus  went 
away  to  Marly.  They  were  both  in  the  most  bitter  grief,  and 
had  not  the  courage  to  go  to  the  dauphin." 

The  body  of  the  dauphine  was  placed  on  a  state  bed  in  her 
grand  cabinet.    Six  days  later  her  husband  died  at  Marly,  and, 
^Memoirs  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  p.  198. 
292 


The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 

as  Dangeau  has  said  in  a  simple,  touching  Hne,  "  they  then 
made  the  bed  larger  to  place  there  the  two  bodies."  "  All  the 
railings  of  the  courtyards  were  hung  with  black,  as  were  also 
the  arches  of  the  vestibule,  the  marble  staircase,  the  Hall  of 
the  Guards,  and  all  the  apartments  of  the  dauphine,  from  floor 
to  ceiling.  During  all  the  time  that  the  bodies  of  the  dauphin 
and  dauphine  lay  in  state,  an  immense  number  of  people 
passed  through  the  grand  cabinet  and  the  apartments,  as  far 
as  the  barrier  erected  in  the  gallery,  from  which  they  regained 
the  staircase  through  the  Hall  of  the  King's  Guards."  ^ 

On  the  23d  of  February,  17 12,  side  by  side  in  the  same 
funeral  coach,  Louis  of  France  and  Marie  Adelaide  of  Savoy 
passed  out  of  the  gilded  gateway  of  Versailles,  leaving  behind 
them  a  great  chateau,  draped  with  black  and  filled  with  bitter- 
ness, and  at  Marly  a  heartbroken  king. 
^  Mercure,  1712. 


293 


IV 

THE  DUC  D'ANJOU 

PHILIPPE  of  France,  Due  d'Anjou,  became  King  of 
Spain  when  he  was  seventeen,  and  the  court  of  Ver- 
sailles saw  nothing  more  of  him  after  December, 
1700.  Up  to  that  time  he  had  been  quiet,  obedient, 
reserved,  and  taciturn.  "  He  must  know  people  before  he 
will  speak  to  them  at  all,"  says  the  Palatine.  "  If  you  desire 
to  talk  to  him,  you  must  tease  him  and  rally  him  a  little,  or  he 
will  not  open  his  mouth.  .  .  .  He  is  bigger  than  his  bro- 
thers. He  has  the  best  mien,  good  features,  and  fine  hair. 
What  is  somewhat  singular,  although  his  hair  is  very  light, 
his  eyes  are  quite  black ;  his  complexion  is  clear  red  and  white ; 
he  has  an  Austrian  mouth ;  his  voice  is  deep,  and  he  is  singu- 
larly slow  in  speaking.  He  is  a  good  and  peaceable  sort  of  a 
person,  but  a  little  obstinate  when  he  takes  it  into  his  head." 
On  state  occasions  the  court  saw  him  in  his  place  on  the  steps 
of  the  throne ;  that  was  about  all. 

When  his  grandfather  accepted  the  crown  of  Spain  for  him, 
he  said  little,  and  when  the  court  came  to  do  him  homage,  he 
said  less.  He  had  at  Versailles  a  few  days  of  prestige,  a  few 
days  when  he  was  forced  into  prominence. 

"The  king,  after  his  lever  (November  16,  1700),  sum- 
moned the  Spanish  ambassador  into  his  cabinet,  and,  having 
called  Mgr.  le  Due  d'Anjou,  who  was  in  the  back  cabinet,  he 
said  to  the  ambassador,  '  You  can  salute  him  as  your  king.' 

294 


Pliilippe  of  France.  Due  d'Anjou  and  King  of  Spain 


The  Due  d'Anjou 


The  ambassador  threw  himself  on  his  knees,  and  kissed  the 
prince's  hand  in  the  Spanish  manner.  He  then  paid  him  a 
long  compliment  in  Spanish.  When  he  had  finished,  the  king 
said  to  him,  '  He  does  not  yet  understand  Spanish.  It  is  for 
me  to  answer  for  him.'  The  courtiers  were  at  the  door  of  the 
king's  cabinet.  His  Majesty  ordered  the  usher  to  open  both 
leaves  of  the  door  and  allow  all  the  courtiers  to  enter.  The 
king  said  to  them,  *  Gentlemen,  here  is  the  King  of  Spain. 
His  birth  has  called  him  to  that  crown.  The  nation  has  de- 
sired him,  and  asked  him  from  me,  and  I  have  granted  their 
wish  with  pleasure.  This  is  the  will  of  Heaven.'  Then  turn- 
ing toward  the  King  of  Spain,  he  said  to  him,  *  Be  a  good 
Spaniard ;  that  is  now  your  first  duty ;  but  do  not  forget  that 
you  were  born  a  Frenchman,  and  preserve  the  alliance  between 
the  two  nations.  That  is  the  way  to  render  them  happy,  and 
to  preserve  the  peace  of  Europe.'  His  Majesty  then  addressed 
the  ambassador,  and  pointing  with  his  finger  to  the  King  of 
Spain,  he  said,  '  If  he  follows  my  advice,  you  will  be  a  great 
lord,  and  that  soon;  he  cannot  do  better  than  follow  your 
counsel.'  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  Mgr.  le  Due  de 
Berry  embraced  the  King  of  Spain,  and  all  three  were  in  tears 
as  they  embraced. 

"  Meanwhile,  the  Comte  de  Zinzendorf,  the  envoy  of  the 
emperor,  was  waiting  for  the  audience  he  had  asked  for,  to 
announce  to  the  king  the  birth  of  an  archduke,  and  he  knew 
nothing  of  what  had  taken  place.  The  king  sent  the  King  of 
Spain  and  the  Spanish  ambassador  into  the  back  cabinet,  while 
he  gave  audience  to  the  Comte  de  Zinzendorf. 

"  The  audience  being  finished,  the  king  went  to  chapel. 
The  King  of  Spain  walked  at  his  right  side;  and  they  heard 
mass  together  in  the  tribune.  The  king,  seeing  that  the  King 
of  Spain  had  no  cushion,  wished  to  give  him  his  own.  The 
King  of  Spain  was  not  willing  to  accept  it;  and,  the  king 
having  drawn  it  from  beneath  his  knees,  neither  one  had  it. 

295 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

On  their  return  from  chapel,  as  they  were  passing  tlirough  the 
state  apartments,  the  king  told  the  King  of  Spain  that  one  of 
these  apartments  should  be  made  his  bedchamber,^  for  the 
time,  that  the  courtiers  might  pay  their  court  to  him  there."  ^ 

On  the  1st  of  December,  1700,  the  new  King  of  Spain  left 
Versailles,  "  in  pomp,  surrounded  by  many  more  guards  than 
usual,  gendarmes,  and  light  horse,"  for  his  kingdom,  where  he 
was  to  lead  a  singularly  colorless  existence.  In  order  to  keep 
him  there,  his  royal  grandfather  was  soon  involved  in  a  war 
with  Europe,  and  the  War  of  the  Spanish  Succession  brought 
the  Grand  Monarch  to  the  brink  of  the  abyss.  He  escaped  de- 
struction only  at  the  eleventh  hour  by  the  victory  of  Villars 
at  Denain. 

^  The  salon  of  Mercury.  "  Le  Mercure  Galant,  1700. 


296 


THE  DUC  AND  DUCHESSE  DE  BERRY 

CHARLES  of  France,  Due  de  Berry,  was  the 
gayest,  frankest,  and  most  popular  of  the  three 
sons  of  Monseigneur.  Of  medium  height,  rather 
stout,  with  light  hair  and  a  fresh  handsome  face, 
he  had  good  health  and  was  a  great  hunter.  He  had  natural 
wit,  but  beyond  reading  and  writing,  he  had  learned  little. 
Kind  and  accessible,  without  vanity  or  pride,  he  had  almost 
persuaded  himself  that  he  was  a  fool.  If  the  king  looked  hard 
at  him,  or  talked  to  him  of  anything  except  hunting  or  shoot- 
ing, he  became  confused  at  once.  He  was  ignorant,  honest, 
sincere,  amiable,  and  popular.  In  the  one  thing  of  importance 
which  he  was  given  to  do,  he  failed.  Before  the  peace  was 
signed  at  Utrecht  in  171 3,  England  demanded  a  renunciation 
of  the  crown  of  France  on  the  part  of  the  King  of  Spain,  and 
a  like  renunciation  with  respect  to  Spain  on  the  part  of  Louis 
XIV.  Spain  having  made  such  renunciation,  it  remained  for 
France  to  do  so.  The  affair  was  a  state  ceremony  in  Parlia- 
ment at  the  Palais  de  Justice,  and  M.  le  Due  de  Berry  was  to 
represent  the  king.  The  Due  de  Berry  was  then  twenty-seven. 
"  Wednesday,  the  i8th  of  May,  was  fixed  for  the  cere- 
mony," says  Saint-Simon.  "  At  six  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  that  day  I  went  to  the  apartments  of  M.  le  Due  de  Berry,  in 
parliamentary  dress,  and  shortly  afterward  M.  d'Orleans  came 
there  also,  with  a  grand  suite.    It  had  been  arranged  that  the 

297 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

ceremony  was  to  commence  by  a  compliment  from  the  Chief- 
President  de  Mesmes  to  M.  le  Due  de  Berry,  who  was  to  reply 
to  it.  He  was  much  troubled  at  this.  Madame  de  Saint- 
Simon,  to  whom  he  unbosomed  himself,  found  means  to  ob- 
tain the  discourse  of  the  chief-president,  and  gave  it  to  M.  le 
Due  de  Berry,  to  regulate  his  reply  by.  This,  however, 
seemed  too  much  for  him;  he  admitted  so  to  Madame  de 
Saint-Simon,  and  that  he  knew  not  what  to  do.  She  proposed 
that  I  should  take  the  work  off  his  hands,  and  he  was  de- 
lighted with  the  expedient.  I  wrote,  therefore,  a  page  and  a 
half  of  common-sized  paper  in  ordinary  handwriting.  M.  le 
Due  de  Berry  liked  it,  but  thought  it  too  long  to  be  learned. 
I  abridged  it;  he  wished  it  to  be  still  shorter,  so  that  at  last 
there  was  not  more  than  three  quarters  of  a  page.  He  had 
learned  it  by  heart,  and  repeated  it  in  his  cabinet  the  night 
before  the  ceremony  to  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  who  encour- 
aged him  as  much  as  she  could.  About  half-past  six  o'clock 
we  set  out ;  M.  le  Due  d'Orleans,  M.  le  Due  de  Berry,  myself, 
and  M.  le  Due  de  Saint-Aignan  in  one  coach,  several  other 
coaches  following.  M.  le  Due  de  Berry  was  very  silent  all  the 
journey,  appearing  to  be  much  occupied  with  the  speech  he 
had  learned  by  heart.  M.  d'Orleans^  on  the  contrary,  was  full 
of  gaiety,  and  related  some  of  his  youthful  adventures,  and 
his  wild  doings  by  night  in  the  streets  of  Paris.  We  arrived 
at  the  Porte  de  la  Conference  at  the  end  of  the  terrace  of  the 
Tuileries.  We  found  there  the  trumpeters  and  drummers  of 
M.  le  Due  de  Berry's  guard,  who  made  a  great  noise  all  the 
rest  of  our  journey,  which  ended  at  the  Palais  de  Justice.  .  .  . 
All  the  princes  of  the  blood,  the  peers,  and  the  Parliament 
were  assembled.  When  M.  le  Due  de  Berry  entered,  every- 
thing was  ready.  Silence  having  been  with  difficulty  ob- 
tained, the  chief-president  paid  his  compliment  to  the  prince. 
When  he  had  finished,  it  was  for  M.  le  Due  de  Berry  to  re- 

*  Philippe,  Due  de  Chartres  and  Due  d'Orleans. 
298 


The  Due  and  Duehesse  de  Berry 


ply.  He  half  took  off  his  hat,  put  it  back  again  immediately, 
looked  at  the  chief-president,  and  said,  '  Monsieur ' ;  after 
a  moment's  pause  he  repeated — '  Monsieur.'  Then  he  looked 
at  the  assembly,  and  said  again,  '  Monsieur.'  Afterward  he 
turned  toward  M.  d'Orleans,  who,  like  himself,  was  as  red  as 
fire,  next  to  the  chief-president,  and  finally  stopped  short, 
nothing  else  than  '  Monsieur  '  having  been  able  to  issue  from 
his  mouth.  I  saw  distinctly  the  confusion  of  M.  le  Due  de 
Berry,  and  sweated  at  it ;  but  what  could  be  done  ?  The  duke 
turned  again  toward  M.  d'Orleans,  who  lowered  his  head; 
both  were  dismayed.  At  last  the  chief-president,  seeing  there 
was  no  other  resource,  finished  this  cruel  scene,  by  taking  oflf 
his  cap  to  M.  le  Due  de  Berry,  and  inclining  himself  very  low, 
as  if  the  response  was  finished.  Immediately  afterward  he 
told  the  king's  people  to  begin.  The  embarrassment  of  the 
courtiers  and  the  surprise  of  the  magistracy  may  be  im- 
agined! .  .  .  During  the  journey  to  Versailles,  M.  le  Due 
de  Berry  was  as  silent  as  ever.  To  add  to  his  vexation,  as 
soon  as  he  arrived  at  Versailles,  the  Princesse  de  Montauban, 
without  knowing  a  word  of  what  had  passed,  set  herself  to 
exclaim,  with  her  usual  flattery,  that  she  was  charmed  with 
the  grace  and  the  appropriate  eloquence  with  which  he  had 
spoken  at  the  Parliament.  M.  le  Due  de  Berry  blushed  with 
vexation,  and  when  at  last  he  got  rid  of  her,  he  went  to  his 
own  apartments,  said  not  a  word  to  the  persons  he  found 
there,  scarcely  one  to  his  wife,  but  taking  Madame  de  Saint- 
Simon  with  him,  he  went  into  his  library,  and  shut  himself 
up  alone  with  her.  Throwing  himself  into  an  arm-chair,  he 
cried  out  that  he  was  dishonored,  and  wept  scalding  tears. 
Then  he  related  to  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  in  the  midst  of 
sobs,  how  he  had  stuck  fast  at  the  Parliament,  said  that  he 
should  everywhere  be  regarded  as  an  ass  and  a  blockhead,  and 
repeated  the  compliments  he  had  received  from  Madame  de 
Montauban,  who,  he  said,  had  laughed  at  him  and  insulted 


299 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

him,  knowing  well  what  had  happened;  then  infuriated 
against  her  to  the  last  degree,  he  called  her  all  sorts  of  names. 
Madame  de  Saint-Simon  spared  no  exertion  in  order  to  calm 
him,  assuring  him  that  Madame  de  Montauban  could  not 
possibly  have  known  what  had  taken  place,  as  the  news  had 
not  reached  Versailles,  and  that  she  had  no  other  object  than 
flattery  in  addressing  him.  Nothing  availed.  Complaints 
and  silence  succeeded  each  other  in  the  midst  of  tears.  Sud- 
denly falling  upon  the  Due  de  Beauvilliers  and  upon  the  king, 
accusing  them  of  the  defects  of  his  education,  '  They  thought 
only  of  making  me  stupid,'  he  cried,  '  and  of  stifling  all  my 
powers.  I  was  a  younger  son.  I  coped  with  my  brother. 
They  feared  the  consequences;  they  annihilated  me.  I  was 
taught  only  to  play  and  to  hunt,  and  they  have  succeeded  in 
making  me  a  fool  and  an  ass,  incapable  of  anything,  the 
laughing-stock  and  disdain  of  everybody.'  Madame  de  Saint- 
Simon  was  overpowered  with  compassion,  and  did  everything 
to  calm  him.  By  degrees  he  became  consoled,  but  never  after- 
ward did  any  one  dare  to  speak  to  him  of  his  misadventure  at 
the  peace  ceremony."  ^ 

A  good  wife  could  have  made  something  of  the  Due  de 
Berry,  but  it  was  his  misfortune  to  be  tied  to  the  drunken,  de- 
bauched daughter  of  the  Due  d' Orleans.  ^  That  was  largely 
Saint-Simon's  doing,  and  a  work  he  lived  to  regret.  "  I  will 
say,"  he  cries,  "  that  if  I  had  known,  or  merely  suspected,  that 
Mile.  d'Orleans  was  as  bad  as  she  showed  herself  directly 
after  her  marriage,  and  always  more  and  more  since,  she 
would  never  have  become  Duchesse  de  Berry."  It  was  unfor- 
tunate that  he  did  not  find  out,  or  suspect,  because  he  was  so 
frightfully  energetic  in  bringing  about  the  marriage.  Mme. 
la  Duchesse  de  Berry  "  partook  of  few  meals  in  private  at 
which  she  did  not  get  so  drunk  as  to  lose  consciousness,  and 

^  Saint-Simon,  II,  pp.  246-248. 
*  Philippe,  Due  de  Chartres  and  Due  d'Orleans. 

300 


The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Berry- 


to  bring  up  all  she  had  taken  on  every  side.  The  presence  of 
the  Due  de  Berry,  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  and 
of  the  ladies  with  whom  she  was  on  familiar  terms,  in  no  way 
restrained  her.  She  often  treated  her  father  with  a  haughti- 
ness which  was  terrifying  on  all  accounts.  In  her  gallantries 
she  was  as  unrestrained  as  in  other  things."  Though  Ma- 
dame de  Berry  was  brought  drunk  to  Versailles  after  more 
than  one  supper,  everything  was  very  carefully  hidden  from 
the  king  and  Madame  de  Maintenon.  After  the  king's  death, 
the  duchess  had  a  free  rein,  and  her  performances  belong 
chiefly  to  the  regency. 

Her  husband  did  not  live  to  see  that  day.  While  hunting 
in  the  spring  of  1714,  his  horse  slipped,  and  in  pulling  him 
up,  the  Due  de  Berry  struck  hard  against  the  pommel  of  the 
saddle,  and  broke  a  vein  in  his  stomach.  He  died  on  Friday, 
the  4th  of  May,  17 14,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  in  his 
twenty-eighth  year. 


301 


VI 

MONSIEUR  AND  MADAME 

MONSIEUR 

PHILIPPE  of  France,  Due  d'Orleans,  was  a  strik- 
ing contrast  to  his  kingly  brother.  He  had,  in  com- 
mon with  Louis,  a  "  perfect  court  air,"  the  result 
of  the  training  of  Anne  of  Austria,  and,  to  the 
great  annoyance  of  Saint-Simon,  his  features  recalled  those 
of  Louis  XIII,  who,  because  he  had  advanced  the  interests  of 
the  elder  Saint-Simon,  was,  in  the  opinion  of  the  son,  the 
model  sovereign.  "  Monsieur  was  a  little  round-bellied  man, 
who  wore  such  high-heeled  shoes  that  he  seemed  mounted 
always  upon  stilts ;  always  decked  out  like  a  woman,  covered 
everywhere  with  rings,  bracelets,  jewels;  with  a  long  black 
wig  powdered  and  curled  in  front;  with  ribbons  wherever 
he  could  put  them;  steeped  in  perfumes,  and  in  fine  a  model 
of  cleanliness.  He  was  accused  of  putting  on  an  impercepti- 
ble touch  of  rouge.  He  had  a  long  nose,  good  eyes  and 
mouth,  a  full  but  very  long  face.  All  his  portraits  resembled 
him." 

When  in  Paris,  he  resided  at  the  Palais  Royal,  but  he  lived 
chiefly  at  his  Chateau  of  St.  Cloud,  and  as  his  brother  would 
not  allow  him  to  have  any  authority,  he  lived  for  pleasure 
only.  "  At  St.  Cloud,  where  all  his  numerous  household  as- 
sembled, there  were  many  ladies  who,  to  speak  the  truth, 
would  scarcely  have  been  received  elsewhere,  but  many  also 

302 


Monsieur  and  Madame 


of  a  higher  set,  and  a  great  store  of  gamblers.  The  pleasures 
of  all  kinds  of  games,  and  the  singular  beauty  of  the  place, 
where  a  thousand  caleches  were  always  ready  to  whirl  even 
the  most  lazy  ladies  through  the  drives,  soft  music  and  good 
cheer,  made  it  a  palace  of  delight,  grace,  and  magnificence." 

Having  lost  his  first  wife,  Henriette  d'Angleterre,  in  1670, 
he  was  married  in  1671  to  Elizabeth-Charlotte,  Princess 
Palatine.  As  his  wife,  she  can  speak  of  him  with  some  au- 
thority. "  Monsieur  was  very  small ;  his  hair  and  eyebrows 
were  quite  black,  his  eyes  were  dark,  his  face  long  and  nar- 
row, his  nose  large,  his  mouth  small.  He  was  fond  of  cards, 
of  holding  drawing-rooms,  of  eating,  dancing,  and  dress;  in 
short,  of  all  that  women  are  fond  of.  The  king  loved  hunt- 
ing, was  fond  of  talking  of  war,  and  had  all  manly  tastes  and 
habits.  My  husband  rather  affected  large  parties  and  mas- 
querades. He  danced  well,  but  in  a  feminine  manner;  he 
could  not  dance  like  a  man  because  his  shoes  were  too  high- 
heeled.  Excepting  when  he  was  with  the  army,  he  would 
never  get  on  horseback.  The  soldiers  used  to  say  that  he 
was  more  afraid  of  being  sunburnt  and  of  the  blackness  of 
the  powder  than  of  the  musket-balls,  and  it  was  very  true. 
He  was  fond  of  building.  He  was  so  fond  of  the  ringing  of 
bells  that  he  used  to  go  to  Paris  on  All  Souls'  Day  for  the 
purpose  of  hearing  the  bells,  which  are  rung  during  the  whole 
of  the  vigils  on  that  day.  He  liked  no  other  music,  and  was 
often  laughed  at  for  it  by  his  friends;  he  would  join  in  the 
joke,  and  confess  that  a  peal  of  bells  delighted  him  beyond  all 
expression.  He  wrote  so  badly  that  he  was  often  puzzled  to 
read  his  own  letters,  and  would  bring  them  to  me  to  decipher 
them.  He  was  of  a  good  disposition  enough,  and  if  he  had 
not  yielded  so  entirely  to  the  bad  advice  of  his  favorites,  he 
would  have  been  the  best  master  in  the  world.  I  loved  him, 
although  he  caused  me  a  great  deal  of  pain." 

He  did  undoubtedly  cause  her  pain.     He  was  effeminate 


303 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

and  debauched.  "  His  minions,  who  owed  him  everything." 
says  Saint-Simon,  "  sometimes  treated  him  most  insolently, 
and  he  had  often  much  to  do  to  appease  horrible  jealousies. 
He  lived  in  continual  hot  water  with  his  favorites,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  quarrels  of  that  troop  of  ladies  of  a  very  de- 
cided character,  many  of  whom  were  very  malicious,  and  most 
of  them  more  than  malicious,  with  whom  Monsieur  used  to 
divert  himself,  entering  into  all  their  wretched  squabbles." 

Yet  this  prince  had  in  him  a  possibility  of  better  things.  In 
the  campaign  of  1677,  he  won  a  battle.  "  Monsieur  got  the 
start  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  gave  him  battle  near  Cassel, 
obtained  a  complete  victory,  immediately  took  St.  Omer,  and 
then  joined  the  king.  Never  afterward  did  the  king  give 
Monsieur  the  command  of  an  army."  Louis  was  determined 
that  his  brother  should  not  be  a  great  personage,  nor  a  power 
in  the  state.  Cassel  was  the  only  important  thing  Monsieur 
ever  did,  or  was  allowed  to  do.  His  education  and  environ- 
ment were  all  against  him,  and  as  he  was  without  resources, 
with  no  taste  for  application,  reading,  or  self-improvement, 
he  fell  naturally  into  luxurious  idleness  and  debauchery.  But 
he  kept  his  grand  manners,  none  the  less.  "  He  loved  great 
people,  and  was  so  affable  and  polite  that  crowds  came  to  him. 
The  difference  which  he  knew  how  to  make,  and  which  he 
never  failed  to  make,  between  every  one  according  to  his  posi- 
tion, contributed  greatly  to  his  popularity.  In  his  receptions, 
by  his  greater  or  more  neglectful  attention,  and  by  his  words, 
he  always  marked  in  a  flattering  manner  the  differences  made 
by  birth  and  dignity,  by  age  and  merit,  and  by  profession; 
and  all  this  with  a  dignity  natural  to  him,  and  a  constant  fa- 
cility which  he  had  acquired." 

By  his  first  wife  he  had  had  two  daughters,  and  by  his 
second,  a  daughter,  and  a  son  Philippe,  the  future  Regent  of 
France.  He  was  too  easy-going  to  exert  much  authority  over 
them.    "  He  loved  his  children  too  well  even  to  reprove  them 

304 


Monsieur  and  Madame 


when  they  deserved  it,"  says  the  Palatine.  "  If  he  had  occa- 
sion to  make  complaints  of  them,  he  used  to  come  to  me  with 
them.  '  But,  Monsieur,'  I  have  said,  '  they  are  your  children 
as  well  as  mine ;  why  do  you  not  correct  them  ?  '  He  replied, 
'  I  do  not  know  how  to  scold,  and  besides  they  would  not  care 
for  me  if  I  did ;  they  fear  no  one  but  you.'  By  always  threat- 
ening the  children  with  me,  he  kept  them  in  constant  fear 
of  me." 

He  lived  on  good  terms  with  his  brother,  was  merry  with 
him  in  private,  without  ever  attempting  to  place  himself  on 
an  equal  footing,  and  in  public  treated  him  with  great  rever- 
ence. "  In  what  regarded  his  service,  and  in  his  manner  of 
approaching  and  leaving  the  king,  no  private  person  could 
behave  with  more  respect."  The  Grand  Monarch  had  so 
tight  a  grip  on  all  the  members  of  the  royal  family  that  not 
one  of  them  failed  to  render  him  proper  homage,  and  the 
effect  of  this  upon  the  courtiers  was  marked.  When  the  fam- 
ily met  in  the  king's  cabinet  at  Versailles  in  the  evenings  after 
supper,  Monsieur  alone  had  an  arm-chair  in  the  king's  pres- 
ence. 

The  one  quarrel  of  a  serious  nature  between  Louis  and 
Monsieur  took  place  just  before  the  latter's  death.  The  king, 
who  was  anxious  to  advance  and  establish  his  illegitimate 
children,  had  brought  about  a  marriage  between  Mile,  de 
Blois,  his  second  daughter  by  Madame  de  Montespan,  and  the 
Due  de  Chartres,  son  of  Monsieur.  It  was  upon  the  subject 
of  the  Due  de  Chartres  that  the  royal  brothers  quarreled. 
"  For  some  time  past  Monsieur  had  been  sorely  grieved  that 
his  son,  M.  le  Due  de  Chartres,  had  not  been  appointed  to 
the  command  of  an  army.  When  M.  de  Chartres  married,  the 
king,  who  had  converted  his  nephew  by  force  into  a  son-in- 
law,  promised  him  all  kinds  of  favors,  but  except  those  which 
were  written  down  in  black  and  white,  had  not  given  him 
any.    M.  de  Chartres,  annoyed  at  this,  and  at  the  manner  in 

20  305 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

which  the  illegitimate  children  ^  were  promoted  over  his  head, 
had  given  himself  up  to  all  kinds  of  youthful  follies  and  ex- 
cesses. The  king  was  surprised  to  find  Monsieur  agree  with 
his  son's  ambition  for  a  command,  but  gave  a  flat  refusal 
when  overtures  were  made  to  him  on  the  subject.  Monsieur, 
therefore,  winked  at  all  the  escapades  performed  or  threatened 
by  his  son,  and  said  nothing,  not  being  sorry  that  the  king 
should  become  uneasy,  which  was  soon  the  case.  The  king  at 
last  spoke  to  Monsieur,  and  being  coldly  received,  reproached 
him  for  not  knowing  how  to  exercise  authority  over  his  son. 
Upon  this  Monsieur  fired  up,  and  quite  as  much  from  fore- 
gone decision  as  from  anger,  in  his  turn  asked  the  king  what 
was  to  be  done  with  a  son  at  such  an  age,  who  was  sick  of 
treading  the  galleries  of  Versailles  and  the  pavement  of  the 
court,  of  being  married  as  he  was,  and  of  remaining,  as  it 
were,  naked,  while  his  brothers-in-law  were  clothed  in  digni- 
ties, governments,  establishments,  and  offices,  against  all  pol- 
icy and  example.  His  son,  he  said,  was  worse  off  than  any 
one  in  the  king's  service,  for  all  others  could  earn  distinction. 
He  added  that  idleness  was  the  mother  of  all  vice,  and  that  it 
gave  him  much  pain  to  see  his  only  son  abandon  himself  to 
debauchery  and  bad  company,  but  that  it  would  be  cruel  to 
blame  a  young  man,  forced  as  it  were  into  these  follies,  and 
to  say  nothing  against  him  by  whom  he  was  thus  forced. 
The  king  was  astonished  to  hear  this  straightforward  lan- 
guage. Monsieur  before  had  never  let  out  to  within  a  thou- 
sand leagues  of  this  tone,  which  was  only  the  more  annoying 
because  supported  by  unanswerable  reasons  that  did  not  con- 
vince. Mastering  his  embarrassment,  however,  the  king  an- 
swered as  a  brother  rather  than  as  a  sovereign,  endeavoring 
by  gentle  words  to  calm  the  excitement  of  Monsieur.  But 
Monsieur  was  stung  to  the  quick  by  the  king's  neglect  of  M. 
de  Chartres,  and  would  not  be  pacified.  The  conversation 
*  The  Due  du  Maine  and  the  Comte  de  Toulouse. 
306 


Monsieur  and  Madame 


lasted  very  long,  and  was  pushed  very  far,  Monsieur  through- 
out taking  the  high  tone,  the  king  very  gentle.  They  sepa- 
rated in  this  manner;  Monsieur  frowning,  but  not  daring  to 
break  out ;  the  king  annoyed,  but  not  wishing  to  estrange  his 
brother,  much  less  to  let  their  squabble  be  known.  As  Mon- 
sieur passed  most  of  his  summers  at  St.  Cloud,  the  separation 
which  this  occasioned  put  them  at  their  ease,  while  waiting 
for  a  reconciliation.  ...  In  public  little  or  nothing  appeared, 
except  that  familiar  people  remarked  politeness  and  attention 
on  the  king's  part,  and  coldness  on  that  of  Monsieur.  Nev- 
ertheless, being  advised  not  to  push  matters  too  far.  Monsieur 
gave  his  son  a  lecture,  and  made  him  change  his  conduct  by 
degrees.  But  Monsieur  still  remained  irritated  against  the 
king,  and  this  completely  upset  him,  accustomed  as  he  had 
always  been  to  live  on  the  best  of  terms  with  his  brother,  and 
to  be  treated  by  him  in  every  respect  as  such,  except  that  the 
king  would  not  allow  Monsieur  to  become  a  great  personage. 
"On  Thursday,  the  8th  of  June  (1701),  Monsieur  went 
from  St.  Cloud  to  dine  with  the  king  at  Marly,  and,  as  was 
his  custom,  entered  the  cabinet  after  the  council.  He  found 
the  king  angry  with  M.  de  Chartres  for  neglecting  his  wife 
and  allowing  her  to  seek  consolation  for  this  neglect  in  the 
society  of  others.  The  Due  de  Chartres  was  at  that  time 
enamoured  of  Mile,  de  Sery,  maid  of  honor  to  Madame,  and 
carried  on  his  suit  in  the  most  open  and  flagrant  manner. 
The  king  took  this  for  his  theme,  and  very  stiffly  reproached 
Monsieur  for  the  conduct  of  his  son.  Monsieur,  who  needed 
little  to  exasperate  him,  tartly  replied  that  fathers  who  led 
certain  lives  had  little  authority  over  their  children,  and 
little  right  to  blame  them.  The  king,  who  felt  the  point  of  the 
answer,  fell  back  on  the  patience  of  his  daughter,  and  said 
that  at  least  she  ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  see  the  truth  so 
clearly.  But  Monsieur  was  resolved  to  have  his  fling,  and 
recalled,  in  the  most  aggravating  manner,  the  conduct  the 


307 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

king  had  once  adopted  toward  his  queen,  with  respect  to  his 
mistresses,  even  allowing  the  latter  to  accompany  him  in  his 
journeys,  the  queen  at  his  side,  and  all  in  the  same  coach. 
This  last  remark  drove  the  king  beyond  all  patience,  and  he 
redoubled  his  reproaches,  so  that  presently  both  were  shout- 
ing to  one  another  at  the  top  of  their  voices.  The  door  of 
the  apartment  in  which  they  wrangled  was  open,  and  only 
covered  by  a  curtain,  as  was  the  custom  at  Marly,  and  the 
adjoining  room  was  full  of  courtiers,  waiting  to  see  the  king 
go  by  to  dinner.  On  the  other  side  was  a  little  salon,  devoted 
to  very  private  purposes,  and  filled  with  valets,  who  could 
hear  distinctly  every  word  of  what  passed.  The  usher  at  the 
door,  upon  hearing  this  noise,  entered,  and  told  the  king 
how  many  people  were  within  hearing,  and  immediately  re- 
tired. The  conversation  did  not  stop,  however;  it  was  sim- 
ply carried  on  in  a  lower  tone.  Monsieur  continued  his 
reproaches;  said  that  the  king,  in  marrying  his  daughter  to 
M.  de  Chartres,  had  promised  marvels,  and  had  done  nothing ; 
that  for  his  part,  he  had  wished  his  son  to  serve  in  the  army, 
to  keep  him  out  of  the  way  of  these  intrigues,  but  that  his 
demands  had  been  in  vain.  The  king,  more  and  more  carried 
away  by  anger,  replied  that  the  war  would  soon  oblige  him 
to  make  some  retrenchments,  and  that  he  would  commence 
by  cutting  down  the  pensions  of  Monsieur,  since  he  showed 
himself  so  little  accommodating.  At  this  moment  the  king 
was  informed  that  his  dinner  was  ready,  and  both  he  and 
Monsieur  left  the  cabinet  and  went  to  table;  Monsieur  all 
fury,  flushed,  and  with  eyes  inflamed  by  anger.  His  face  thus 
crimsoned  induced  some  ladies,  who  were  at  the  king's  table, 
and  some  courtiers  behind,  but  more  for  the  purpose  of  say- 
ing something  than  anything  else,  to  make  the  remark  that 
Monsieur,  by  his  appearance,  had  great  need  of  bleeding. 
The  same  thing  had  been  said  some  time  before  at  St.  Cloud; 
he  was  absolutely  too  full;  and,  indeed,  he  had  himself  ad- 

308 


Monsieur  and  Madame 


mitted  that  it  was  true.  Even  the  king,  in  spite  of  their 
squabble,  had  more  than  once  pressed  him  to  consent.  But 
Tancrede,  Monsieur's  head  surgeon,  was  old  and  an  unskilful 
bleeder;  he  had  missed  fire  once.  Monsieur  would  not  be 
bled  by  him,  and,  not  to  vex  him,  was  good  enough  to  refuse 
to  be  bled  by  another,  and  to  die  in  consequence.  Upon  hear- 
ing this  observation  about  bleeding,  the  king  spoke  to  Mon- 
sieur again  on  the  subject,  and  said  he  did  not  know  what  pre- 
vented him  from  having  Monsieur  taken  at  once  to  his  room 
and  bled  by  force.  The  dinner  passed  then  in  the  ordinary 
manner,  and  Monsieur  ate  extremely,  as  he  did  at  all  his 
meals,  to  say  nothing  of  an  abundant  supply  of  chocolate  in 
the  morning,  and  what  he  swallowed  all  day  in  the  shape  of 
fruit,  pastry,  preserves,  and  dainties  of  every  kind,  with  which 
indeed  the  tables  of  his  cabinets  and  his  pockets  were  always 
filled. 

"  Upon  rising  from  table,  the  king,  in  his  carriage,  alone, 
went  to  St.  Germain  to  visit  the  King  and  Queen  of  England. 
The  other  members  of  the  royal  family  went  there  likewise 
separately.  Monsieur,  after  going  there  also,  returned  to  St. 
Cloud. 

"  In  the  evening  after  supper,  the  king  was  in  his  cabinet 
at  Marly  with  Monseigneur  and  the  princesses,  as  at  Ver- 
sailles, when  a  messenger  came  from  St.  Cloud,  and  asked 
to  see  the  king  in  the  name  of  the  Due  de  Chartres.  He  was 
admitted  into  the  cabinet,  and  said  that  Monsieur  had  been 
taken  very  ill  while  at  supper,  that  he  had  been  bled,  that  he 
was  better,  and  that  an  emetic  had  been  given  to  him.  The 
fact  was  that  Monsieur  had  supped  as  usual  with  the  ladies 
who  were  at  St.  Cloud,  and  during  the  meal,  as  he  poured  out 
a  glass  of  liqueur  for  Madame  de  Bouillon,  it  was  perceived 
that  he  stammered  and  pointed  at  something  with  his  hand. 
As  it  was  customary  for  him  sometimes  to  speak  Spanish, 
some  of  the  ladies  asked  what  he  said,  others  cried  aloud.    All 


309 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

this  was  the  work  of  an  instant,  and  immediately  afterward 
Monsieur  fell  in  a  fit  of  apoplexy  upon  M.  de  Chartres,  who 
supported  him.  He  was  taken  to  his  apartment,  shaken, 
moved  about,  bled  considerably,  and  had  strong  emetics  ad- 
ministered to  him,  but  scarcely  any  signs  of  life  did  he  show. 
"  Upon  hearing  this  news,  the  king,  who  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  fly  to  Monsieur  for  a  mere  nothing,  went  to  the 
apartment  of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  had  her  waked  up. 
He  passed  a  quarter  of  an  hour  with  her,  and  then,  toward 
midnight,  returning  to  his  room,  he  ordered  his  coach  to  be 
got  ready,  and  sent  the  Marquis  de  Gesvres  to  St.  Cloud  to 
see  if  Monsieur  was  worse,  in  which  case  the  marquis  was  to 
return  and  wake  him.  The  king  then  went  to  bed.  Besides 
the  strained  relation  in  which  he  and  Monsieur  were  at  that 
time,  I  think  the  king  suspected  some  artifice,  and  that  he 
went  in  consequence  to  consult  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and 
preferred  sinning  against  all  laws  of  propriety  to  running  the 
chance  of  being  duped.  Madame  de  Maintenon  did  not  like 
Monsieur ;  she  feared  him.  He  paid  her  very  little  court,  and 
despite  all  his  timidity  and  deference,  observations  escaped 
him,  at  times  when  he  was  with  the  king,  which  marked  his 
disdain  of  her.  She  was  not  eager,  therefore,  to  advise  the 
king  to  go  and  visit  him,  still  less  to  commence  a  journey  by 
night,  with  the  loss  of  rest,  and  witnessing  a  spectacle  so  sad, 
so  likely  to  touch  him,  and  make  him  make  reflections  on  him- 
self. She  hoped  that  if  things  went  quietly  he  might  be 
spared  the  trouble  altogether.  A  moment  after  the  king  had 
gotten  into  bed,  a  page  came  to  say  that  Monsieur  was  bet- 
ter, and  that  he  had  just  asked  for  some  Schaffhausen  water, 
which  is  excellent  for  apoplexy.  An  hour  and  a  half  later, 
another  messenger  came,  awakened  the  king,  and  told  him 
that  the  emetic  had  had  no  effect,  and  that  Monsieur  was  very 
ill.  At  this  the  king  rose  and  set  out  at  once.  On  the  way 
he  met  the  Marquis  de  Gesvres,  who  was  coming  to  fetch  him, 

310 


Monsieur  and  Madame 


and  brought  similar  news.  It  may  be  imagined  what  hubbub 
and  disorder  there  was  this  night  at  Marly,  and  what  horror 
at  St.  Cloud,  that  palace  of  delight !  Everybody  who  was  at 
Marly  hastened  as  he  was  best  able  to  St.  Cloud.  Whoever 
was  ready  first  started  together.  Men  and  women  jostled 
each  other,  and  threw  themselves  into  the  coaches  without 
order,  and  without  regard  to  etiquette.  Monseigneur  was 
with  Mme.  la  Duchesse.  He  was  so  struck  by  what  had  oc- 
curred, and  its  resemblance  to  what  he  himself  had  experi- 
enced,^ that  he  could  scarcely  stand,  and  was  dragged,  almost 
carried,  to  the  carriage,  all  trembling. 

"  The  king  arrived  at  St.  Cloud  before  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Monsieur  had  not  had  a  moment's  consciousness 
since  his  attack.  A  ray  of  intelligence  came  to  him  for  an 
instant,  while  his  confessor,  Pere  du  Trevoux,  went  to  say 
mass,  but  it  returned  no  more.  The  most  horrible  sights  have 
often  ridiculous  contrasts.  When  the  confessor  came  back, 
he  cried,  '  Monsieur,  do  you  not  know  your  confessor?  Do 
you  not  know  the  good  little  Pere  du  Trevoux,  who  is  speak- 
ing to  you  ?  '  This  caused  the  less  afflicted  to  laugh  inde- 
cently. The  king  appeared  much  moved.  He  had  never  had 
cause  not  to  love  his  brother  tenderly,  and  although  on  bad 
terms  with  him  for  the  last  two  months,  these  sad  moments 
recalled  all  his  tenderness;  perhaps,  too,  he  reproached  him- 
self with  having  hastened  death  by  the  scene  of  the  morning. 
The  king  heard  mass  at  St.  Cloud,  and  toward  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  Monsieur  being  past  all  hope,  Madame  de 
Maintenon  and  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  persuaded  the 
king  to  stay  no  longer,  and  returned  with  him  in  his  carriage 
to  Marly.  As  he  was  leaving,  and  was  showing  some  sign  of 
affection  to  the  Due  de  Chartres,  both  weeping  very  much, 
that  young  prince  did  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of  the  oppor- 
tunity. *  Sire ! '  he  exclaimed,  embracing  the  king's  thighs, 
*  Monseigneur  had  had  a  slight  attack  of  apoplexy  not  lon^  before. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

'  what  will  become  of  me?  I  lose  Monsieur,  and  I  know  that 
you  do  not  like  me.'  The  king,  surprised  and  much  touched, 
embraced  him,  and  said  all  the  tender  things  he  could. 

"  At  the  departure  of  the  king  from  St.  Cloud,  all  the 
crowd  assembled  there  little  by  little  withdrew,  so  that  Mon- 
sieur, dying,  stretched  upon  a  couch  in  his  cabinet,  remained 
exposed  to  the  valets  and  the  lower  officers  of  his  household, 
the  majority  of  whom,  either  by  affection  or  interest,  were 
much  afflicted.  .  .  .  On  arriving  at  Marly,  the  king  went 
with  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  to  the  apartment  of  Madame 
de  Maintenon.  Three  hours  after  came  M.  Fagon,  who  had 
been  ordered  not  to  leave  Monsieur  until  he  was  dead  or  bet- 
ter, which  could  not  be  but  by  a  miracle.  As  soon  as  he  saw 
him,  the  king  said,  '  Well,  M.  Fagon,  my  brother  is  dead  ?  ' 
*  Yes,  Sire,'  said  Fagon.  *  No  remedy  has  taken  effect.' 
The  king  wept  a  good  deal.  He  was  pressed  to  dine  with 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  but  he  would  not  do  so,  and  had  his 
dinner,  as  usual,  with  the  ladies.  Tears  often  ran  down  his 
cheek  during  the  meal,  which  was  short.  Then  he  shut  him- 
self up  in  Madame  de  Maintenon's  apartments  until  seven 
o'clock,  when  he  took  a  turn  in  the  garden.  Afterward  he 
worked  with  Chamillart  and  Pontchartrain,  and  arranged  all 
the  funeral  ceremonies  of  Monsieur.  He  supped  an  hour  be- 
fore his  customary  time,  and  went  to  bed  soon  afterward. 

"  Next  morning,  Friday,  the  9th  of  June,  the  Due  de  Char- 
tres  came  to  the  king,  who  was  still  in  bed,  and  who  spoke  to 
him  in  a  very  friendly  manner.  He  said  that  the  duke  must 
for  the  future  regard  him  as  his  father,  that  he  would  take 
care  of  his  position  and  his  interests,  that  he  had  forgotten  all 
the  causes  of  anger  he  had  had  against  him,  and  that  he  hoped 
the  duke  would  also  forget  them.  It  may  easily  be  conceived 
how  well  M.  de  Chartres  answered  all  this.  ...  As  for  M. 
de  Chartres  himself,  he  was  prodigiously  well  treated.  The 
king  gave  him  all  the  pensions  Monsieur  had  enjoyed,  be- 

312 


■  B,j p,r,i.;i,;un  o/  J!r.i.in.  Cltm.^t  f  Co. 

Elizabeth  Charlotte.  Duehcsse  d'Orleans,  Princess  Palatine 


Monsieur  and  Madame 


sides  allowing  him  to  retain  his  own,  so  that  he  had  i,8oo,- 
ooo  livres  a  year,  in  addition  to  the  Palais  Royal,  St.  Cloud, 
and  other  mansions.  He  had  a  Swiss  guard,  which  none 
but  the  sons  of  France  had  ever  had  before,  and,  in  fact,  he 
retained  all  the  privileges  his  father  had  enjoyed,  and  took 
the  title  of  Due  d'Orleans.  All  these  honors,  so  great  and 
so  unheard-of,  bestowed  on  M.  de  Chartres,  and  an  income  of 
100,000  crowns  more  than  his  father  had  had,  were  due  solely 
to  the  recent  quarrel  between  Monsieur  and  the  king."  ^ 

In  such  fashion  the  king  made  amends  for  his  quarrel  with 
Monsieur,  and  a  few  years  later  the  new  Due  d'Orleans  was 
given  command  of  an  army  in  Italy. 

MADAME 

The  second  wife  of  Monsieur  was  an  uncommon  woman,  and 
had  by  no  means  an  easy  time  at  the  court  of  Versailles.  She 
was  homely,  blunt,  and  outspoken ;  she  was  first  and  last  and 
always  a  German ;  she  had  neither  French  tastes  nor  French 
manners,  and  considered  it  quite  beneath  her  to  acquire 
them ;  flattery  was  a  fine  art  she  never  knew ;  she  loved  hunt- 
ing, horses  and  dogs,  and  German  dishes;  she  spoke  her 
mind,  and  called  a  spade  a  spade.  With  such  a  character,  it 
may  be  imagined  what  an  aversion  she  took  to  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  and  the  hatred  was  mutual.  But  in  spite  of  all 
that  was  done  to  prejudice  the  king  against  her,  Louis  recog- 
nized her  worth,  seeing  beneath  a  rough  exterior  a  genuine 
heart.  "  She  passed  her  days,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  in  a  little 
cabinet  she  had  chosen,  where  the  windows  were  ten  feet  from 
the  ground,  gazing  perpetually  on  the  portraits  of  Paladins 
and  other  German  princes,  with  which  she  had  tapestried  the 
walls,  and  writing  with  her  own  hand  whole  volumes  of  let- 
ters, of  which  she  always  kept  autograph  copies."  It  is  from 
these  letters,  written  chiefly  to  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 

*  Saint-Simon,  I,  pp.  209-218. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Brunswick,  that  we  are  able  to  know  the  character  of  Eliza- 
beth-Charlotte, Duchesse  d'Orleans. 

"  If  my  father  ^  had  loved  me  as  well  as  I  loved  him,"  she 
says,  "he  would  never  have  sent  me  into  a  country  so  dan- 
gerous as  this,  to  which  I  came  through  pure  obedience  and 
against  my  own  inclination.  Here  duplicity  passes  for  wit, 
and  frankness  is  looked  upon  as  folly.  I  am  neither  cunning 
nor  mysterious.  ...  I  am  unquestionably  very  ugly.  My 
eyes  are  small,  my  nose  is  short  and  thick,  my  lips  are  long 
and  flat ;  these  do  not  constitute  much  of  a  physiognomy.  If 
I  had  not  a  good  heart,  no  one  could  endure  me.  To  know 
whether  my  eyes  give  tokens  of  possessing  wit,  they  must  be 
examined  with  a  microscope,  or  it  will  be  difficult  to  judge. 
Hands  more  ugly  than  mine  are  not  perhaps  to  be  found  on 
the  whole  globe.  The  king  has  often  told  me  so,  and  has 
made  me  laugh  at  it  heartily;  for  not  being  able  to  flatter 
even  myself  that  I  possessed  any  one  thing  which  could  be 
called  pretty,  I  resolved  to  be  the  first  to  laugh  at  my  own 
ugliness;  this  has  succeeded  as  well  as  I  could  have  wished, 
and  I  must  confess  that  I  have  seldom  been  at  a  loss  for 
something  to  laugh  at.  I  am  not  good  at  lying  in  bed;  as 
soon  as  I  awake  I  must  get  up.  I  seldom  breakfast,  and  then 
only  on  bread  and  butter.  I  take  neither  chocolate,  nor 
coffee,  nor  tea,  not  being  able  to  endure  those  foreign  drugs. 
I  am  German  in  all  my  habits.  ...  I  never  had  anything 
like  French  manners,  and  I  never  could  assume  them,  because 
I  always  considered  it  an  honor  to  be  born  a  German,  and  al- 
ways cherished  the  maxims  of  my  own  country,  which  are 
seldom  in  favor  here.  In  my  youth  I  loved  swords  and  guns 
much  better  than  toys.  I  wished  to  be  a  boy.  .  .  .  Upon  my 
arrival  in  France  I  was  made  to  hold  a  conference  with  three 
bishops.  They  all  differed  in  their  creeds,  and  so,  taking  the 
quintessence  of  their  opinions,  I  formed  a  religion  of  my 
*  Charles-Louis,  Elector  Palatine. 


Monsieur  and  Madame 


own.  ...  I  was  very  glad  when,  after  the  birth  of  my 
daughter,^  my  husband  proposed  separate  beds;  for,  to  tell 
the  truth,  I  was  never  very  fond  of  having  children.  When 
he  proposed  it  to  me,  I  answered,  *  Yes,  Monsieur,  I  shall  be 
very  well  contented  with  the  arrangement,  provided  you  do 
not  hate  me,  and  that  you  will  continue  to  behave  with  some 
kindness  to  me.'  He  promised,  and  we  were  very  well  satis- 
fied with  each  other.  ...  I  obeyed  the  late  Monsieur  by  not 
troubling  him  with  my  embraces,  and  always  conducted  my- 
self toward  him  with  respect  and  submission.  He  was  a 
good  sort  of  man,  notwithstanding  his  weaknesses,  which, 
indeed,  oftener  excited  my  pity  than  my  anger.  I  must  con- 
fess that  I  did  occasionally  express  some  impatience,  but  when 
he  begged  pardon,  it  was  all  forgotten.  ...  I  cared  little  for 
dress,  because  jewels  and  decoration  attract  attention.  As 
Monsieur  loved  to  be  covered  with  diamonds,  it  was  fortu- 
nate that  I  did  not  regard  them,  for  otherwise  we  should  have 
quarreled  about  who  was  to  wear  them.  .  .  .  Monsieur  was 
taken  ill  at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  but  he  did  not  die  until  the 
next  day  at  noon.  I  can  never  think  of  that  night  without 
horror.  I  remained  with  him  from  ten  at  night  until  five  the 
next  morning,  when  he  lost  all  consciousness.  .  .  .  After 
Monsieur's  death  the  king  sent  to  ask  me  whither  I  wished 
to  retire,  whether  to  a  convent  in  Paris,  or  to  Montargis,  or 
elsewhere.  I  replied  that  as  I  had  the  honor  to  be  of  the 
royal  house  I  could  not  live  but  where  the  king  was,  and 
that  I  intended  to  go  directly  to  Versailles.  The  king  was 
pleased  at  this,  and  came  to  see  me.  He  somewhat  mortified 
me  by  saying  that  he  sent  to  ask  me  whither  I  wished  to  go 
because  he  had  not  imagined  that  I  would  choose  to  stay 
where  he  was.  I  replied  that  I  did  not  know  who  could  have 
told  His  Majesty  anything  so  false  and  injurious,  and  that  I 
had  a  much  more  sincere  respect  and  attachment  for  him 
*  Elizabeth-Charlotte  d'Orleans,  born  in  1676. 


315 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

than  those  who  had  thus  falsely  accused  me.  The  king  then 
dismissed  all  the  persons  present,  and  we  had  a  long  explana- 
tion, in  the  course  of  which  the  king  told  me  I  hated  Madame 
de  Maintenon.  I  confessed  that  I  did  hate  her,  but  only 
through  my  attachment  for  him,  and  because  she  did  me 
wrong  to  His  Majesty;  nevertheless,  I  added  that,  if  it  were 
agreeable  to  him  that  I  should  be  reconciled  to  her,  I  was 
ready  to  become  so.  The  old  woman  was  not  prepared  for 
this,  or  she  would  not  have  suffered  the  king  to  come  to  me. 
He  was,  however,  so  satisfied  that  he  remained  favorable  to 
me  up  to  his  last  hour.  He  made  old  Maintenon  come,  and 
said  to  her,  '  Madame  is  willing  to  make  friends  with  you.' 
He  then  caused  us  to  embrace,  and  there  the  scene  ended. 
He  required  her  also  to  live  upon  good  terms  with  me,  which 
she  did  in  appearance,  but  secretly  played  me  all  sorts  of 
tricks.  .  .  .  The  Chateau  of  Montargis  is  my  jointure;  at 
Orleans  there  is  no  house.  St.  Cloud  is  not  a  part  of  the 
hereditary  property,  but  was  bought  by  Monsieur  with  his 
own  money.  Therefore  my  jointure  produces  nothing;  all 
that  I  have  to  live  on  comes  from  the  king  and  my  son.  At 
the  commencement  of  my  widowhood  I  was  left  unpaid,  and 
there  was  an  arrear  of  300,000  francs  due  to  me,  which  was 
not  paid  until  after  the  death  of  the  king.  What  then  would 
have  become  of  me  if  I  had  chosen  to  retire  to  Montargis? 
My  household  expenses  amounted  annually  to  298,758  livres." 
The  most  bitter  pill  that  the  Palatine  had  to  swallow  was 
the  marriage  of  her  son  Philippe  to  Mile,  de  Blois,  daughter 
of  the  king  and  Madame  de  Montespan.  "  If,  by  shedding 
my  own  blood,  I  could  have  prevented  my  son's  marriage," 
she  says  in  her  Memoirs,  "  I  would  willingly  have  done  so." 
In  her  eyes  a  bastard  was  a  bastard,  king  or  no  king.  "  I  am 
a  right  German,"  she  said  proudly,  "  and  could  never  endure 
unequal  alliances."  As  may  be  imagined,  the  king  did  not 
apply  to  her  at  first,  but  gained  Monsieur  and  the  young  Due 

316 


Monsieur  and  Madame 


de  Chartres.  As  soon  as  Madame  learned  of  the  project,  she 
spoke  to  her  son  with  force,  and  drew  from  him  a  promise 
that  he  would  never  consent  to  it.  But  how  could  Philippe 
d'Orleans,  a  youth  of  eighteen,  resist  the  will  of  a  man  like 
the  Grand  Monarch? 

"One  day  early  after  dinner  (1692),"  says  Saint-Simon, 
"  I  saw  the  Due  de  Chartres,  with  a  very  sad  air,  come  out  of 
his  apartment,  and  enter  the  cabinet  of  the  king.  He  found 
His  Majesty  alone  with  Monsieur.  The  king  spoke  very 
obligingly  to  the  Due  de  Chartres,  said  that  he  wished  to  see 
him  married,  that  he  offered  him  his  daughter,  but  that  he  did 
not  intend  to  constrain  him  in  the  matter,  but  left  him  quite 
at  liberty.  This  discourse,  however,  pronounced  with  that 
terrifying  majesty  so  natural  to  the  king,  and  addressed  to  a 
timid  young  prince,  took  away  his  voice  and  quite  unnerved 
him.  He  thought  to  escape  from  his  slippery  position  by 
throwing  himself  upon  Monsieur  and  Madame,  and  stammer- 
ingly  replied  that  the  king  was  master,  but  that  a  son's  will 
depended  upon  that  of  his  parents.  *  What  you  say  is 
very  proper,'  replied  the  king ;  *  but  as  soon  as  you  consent 
to  my  proposition  your  father  and  mother  will  not  oppose  it.* 
And  then  turning  to  Monsieur,  he  said,  *  Is  this  not  true,  my 
brother?'  Monsieur  consented,  as  he  had  already  done,  and 
the  only  person  remaining  to  consult  was  Madame,  who  was 
immediately  sent  for.  As  soon  as  she  came,  the  king,  mak- 
ing her  acquainted  with  his  project,  said  that  he  reckoned  she 
would  not  oppose  what  her  husband  and  her  son  had  already 
agreed  to.  Madame,  who  had  counted  on  the  refusal  of  her 
son,  was  tongue-tied.  She  threw  two  furious  glances  upon 
Monsieur  and  the  Due  de  Chartres,  and  then  said  that  as 
they  wished  it,  she  had  nothing  to  say,  made  a  slight  rever- 
ence to  the  king,  and  left  the  cabinet.  Her  son  immediately 
followed  her  to  explain  his  conduct ;  but  railing  against  him, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes,  she  would  not  listen,  and  drove  him 


317 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

from  her  room.  Her  husband,  who  joined  her  shortly  after- 
ward, met  with  almost  the  same  treatment.  .  .  .  On  the 
morrow  we  went  to  wait  as  usual  in  the  grand  gallery  for  the 
king  to  go  to  chapel.  Madame  came  there.  Her  son  ap- 
proached her,  as  he  did  every  day,  to  kiss  her  hand.  At  that 
very  moment  she  gave  him  a  box  on  the  ear,  so  sonorous 
that  it  was  heard  several  steps  distant.  Such  treatment  in 
the  presence  of  all  the  court  covered  with  confusion  this  un- 
fortunate prince,  and  overwhelmed  the  infinite  number  of 
spectators,  of  whom  I  was  one,  with  prodigious  astonish- 
ment. That  day  the  immense  dowry  was  declared,  and  on 
Sunday  there  was  a  grand  ball.  ...  I  had  been  that  morning 
to  wait  on  Madame,  who  could  not  refrain  from  saying,  in  a 
sharp  angry  voice,  that  I  was  doubtless  very  glad  of  the 
promise  of  so  many  balls,  as  was  natural  at  my  age,  but  that, 
for  her  part,  she  was  old,  and  wished  they  were  well 
over.  .  .  ,  On  the  Monday  before  Shrove  Tuesday,  all  the 
marriage  party  and  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  superbly 
dressed,  repaired  a  little  before  noon  to  the  cabinet  of  the 
king,  and  afterward  to  chapel.  The  Cardinal  de  Bouillon, 
in  full  robes,  married  them  and  said  mass."  ^ 

Madame  was  an  intrepid  huntress,  and  went  to  the  chase 
two  or  three  times  a  week,  attending  the  stag-hunts  of  the 
king  and  the  wolf-hunts  of  Monseigneur.  She  saw  in  all 
more  than  a  thousand  stags  taken,  and  had  in  all  some 
twenty- four  or  twenty-five  falls  from  her  horse.  "Mais 
cela  ne  m'a  pas  eifrayee,"  she  adds  coolly.  "  I  know  very 
well,"  she  said  in  1706,  "  what  it  is  to  be  exposed  in  hunting 
to  a  burning  sun.  Many  times  I  remain  at  the  chase  from 
early  morning  until  five  in  the  evening,  and  in  summer  until 
nine  at  night.  I  come  back  red  as  a  lobster."  In  1683,  in 
the  hunt  at  Fontainebleau,  she  saved  herself  from  injury  by 
her  presence  of  mind.     "  In  the  last  hunt  at  Fontainebleau,  a 

^  Saint-Simon,  I,  pp.  12-18. 
-.18 


Monsieur  and  Madame 


serious  accident  would  have  happened  to  me  if  I  had  not 
jumped  quickly  from  my  horse.  A  deer,  terrified  by  the 
chase,  and  even  more  so  by  meeting  a  horseman  in  front  of 
me,  rushed  directly  at  me  with  such  force  that,  in  spite  of  all 
my  efforts  to  restrain  my  horse,  I  could  not  stop  him  quickly 
enough  to  avoid  the  shock  with  the  beast,  which  came  bound- 
ing, striking  my  horse  in  the  mouth,  and  breaking  the  bit  and 
bridle.  My  horse  was  so  frightened  that  he  did  not  know 
what  he  did ;  he  snorted  and  leaped  to  one  side.  When  I  saw 
that  the  bit  held  him  no  longer,  I  turned  the  bridle  into  his 
mouth,  leaped  to  the  ground,  and  held  him  fast  until  my 
people  ran  to  my  assistance.  If  I  had  not  dismounted  so 
quickly,  my  horse  would  doubtless  have  broken  my  neck. 
This  adventure  made  such  a  stir  at  court  that  for  two  days 
they  talked  of  nothing  else.  Here  people  transform  a  trifle 
into  a  great  affair."  In  1697  she  was  not  so  fortunate:  "  I 
must  tell  you  what  has  happened  to  me.  I  had  gone  with 
Monseigneur  to  hunt  the  wolf.  It  had  rained,  and  the 
ground  was  icy  and  slippery.  We  had  hunted  for  two  hours 
without  finding  a  wolf,  and  were  on  our  way  to  another  lo- 
cality where  we  counted  upon  finding  one,  when,  as  we  were 
following  the  path,  a  wolf  suddenly  appeared  in  front  of  my 
horse.  My  horse  reared,  and  slipped,  and  fell  on  its  right 
side.  My  elbow  struck  a  large  stone,  and  I  dislocated  the 
bone."  A  peasant  in  the  vicinity  set  her  arm  without  diffi- 
culty, and  the  Palatine  returned  to  St.  Cloud  with  little  suf- 
fering ;  but  as  soon  as  the  court  doctors  got  hold  of  her,  they 
reset  her  arm,  and  she  suffered  much,  and  a  month  later  was 
hardly  able  to  raise  her  hand  to  her  mouth.  "  I  think,"  said 
she,  "  that  they  were  simply  jealous  of  what  the  poor  peasant 
had  done  so  well." 

In  those  eight  hundred  and  odd  letters  found  among  the 
papers  of  the  Duchess  of  Brunswick,  Madame  had  much  to 
say  about  all  the  chief  figures  of  the  court  of  Louis  XIV,  but 


319 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

upon  the  subject  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  she  waxed  elo- 
quent. "  Goody  Scarron,"  the  "  old  woman,"  and  the  "  old 
witch  "  are  her  favorite  terms.  Her  portrait  of  Madame  de 
Maintenon  is  in  some  particulars  little  more  than  a  carica- 
ture; yet  volumes  might  be  written  on  the  subject,  and  fail 
to  bring  out  the  duplicity  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  and  the 
dupability  of  the  Grand  Monarch,  as  do  these  few  lines  from 
the  Palatine's  pen :  "  Nobody  at  court  used  perfumery  except 
that  old  woman ;  her  gloves  were  always  scented  with  jessa- 
mine. The  king  could  not  bear  scent  on  any  other  person, 
and  only  endured  it  in  her  because  she  made  him  believe  that 
it  was  somebody  else  who  was  perfumed."  ^ 

It  was  not  the  least  of  the  satisfactions  of  the  Palatine 
that  she  lived  to  see  her  son,  Philippe,  Regent  of  France,  and 
Madame  de  Maintenon  in  obscurity  at  St.  Cyr. 

*  Memoirs  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  p.  83. 


320 


VII 
THE  DUG  AND  DUCHESSE  DE  CHARTRES 

THE  DUC  DE  CHARTRES 

PHILIPPE,  Due  de  Chartres,  only  son  of  Monsieur 
and  Madame,  and  sole  nephew  of  the  king,  had  un- 
usual ability.  "  Never  was  man  born  with  so  many 
talents,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  with  so  much  readi- 
ness and  facility  in  making  use  of  them,  and  yet  never  was 
man  so  idle,  so  given  up  to  vacuity  and  weariness.  Madame 
painted  him  very  happily  by  an  illustration  from  fairy-tales, 
of  which  she  was  full.  She  said  that  all  the  fairies  had  been 
invited  to  his  birth,  that  all  came,  and  that  each  gave  him  some 
talent,  so  that  he  had  them  all.  But  an  old  fairy  had  been 
omitted  from  the  invitation  list.  Piqued  at  this,  she  came 
just  at  the  moment  when  all  the  rest  had  endowed  the  child 
with  their  gifts,  and  she  revenged  herself  by  rendering  useless 
all  the  talents  the  child  had  received  from  the  other  fairies, 
not  one  of  which  was  he  able  to  make  use  of.  It  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  on  the  whole  this  is  a  speaking  portrait." 

The  bad  fairy  was  no  myth,  for  the  Abbe  Dubois  was  the 
evil  genius  who  wrecked  the  talents  of  the  Due  de  Chartres. 
"  Dubois  led  him  into  debauchery,  made  him  despise  all  duty 
and  decency,  and  persuaded  him  that  he  had  too  much 
mind  to  be  the  dupe  of  religion,  which  he  said  was  a  politic 
invention  to  frighten  ordinary  intellects  and  keep  people  in 
subjection.  He  filled  him,  too,  with  his  favorite  principle, 
that  probity  in  man  and  virtue  in  woman  were  mere  chimeras, 

21  321 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

without  existence  in  anybody  except  in  a  few  poor  slaves  of 
early  training.  .  .  .  Unfortunately  all  conspired  in  M.  le 
Due  de  Chartres  to  open  his  heart  and  mind  to  this  execrable 
poison :  a  fresh  and  early  youth,  much  strength  and  health, 
joy  at  escaping  from  the  yoke,  as  well  as  vexation  at  his  mar- 
riage, the  wearisomeness  produced  by  idleness,  the  impulse  of 
his  passions,  and  the  example  of  other  young  men,  whose 
vanity  and  whose  interest  it  was  to  make  him  live  like  them. 
Thus  he  grew  accustomed  to  debauchery,  above  all  to  the  up- 
roar of  it,  so  that  he  could  not  do  without  it,  and  could  only 
divert  himself  by  dint  of  noise,  tumult,  and  excess.  .  .  . 
With  all  his  talents,  he  was  totally  without  honest  resources 
for  amusing  himself.  He  was  born  bored,  and  was  so  accus- 
tomed to  live  out  of  himself  that  it  was  insufferable  to  him  to 
return.  He  could  only  live  in  the  midst  of  the  movement 
and  torrent  of  business  —  at  the  head  of  an  army,  for  in- 
stance, or  in  the  cares  that  arose  out  of  the  execution  of  cam- 
paign projects,  or  in  the  excitement  and  uproar  of  debauchery. 
He  began  to  languish  as  soon  as  he  was  without  noise,  excess, 
and  tumult,  the  time  hanging  painfully  upon  his  hands.  .  .  . 
He  was  of  mediocre  stature,  full-bodied  without  being  fat; 
his  manner  and  deportment  were  easy  and  noble ;  his  face  was 
broad  and  very  agreeable,  high  in  color;  his  hair  black,  and 
wig  the  same.  .  .  .  With  much  ease  when  nothing  con- 
strained him,  he  was  gentle,  affable,  open,  of  facile  and 
charming  access ;  the  tone  of  his  voice  was  agreeable,  and  he 
had  a  surprisingly  easy  flow  of  words  upon  all  subjects,  which 
nothing  ever  disturbed  and  which  never  failed  to  sur- 
prise. .  .  .  To  hear  him,  you  would  have  thought  him  a 
great  reader.  Not  so.  He  skimmed,  but  his  memory  was  so 
singular  that  he  never  forgot  things,  names,  or  dates,  cher- 
ishing remembrance  of  things  with  precision ;  and  his  appre- 
hension was  so  good  that  in  skimming  thus  it  was  with  him 
precisely  as  though  he  had  read  very  laboriously.     He  had  no 

322 


Philippe,  Due  de  Chartres  and  Duo  d'Orleans 


The  Due  and  Duehesse  de  Chartres 

presumption,  no  trace  of  superiority  natural  or  acquired;  he 
reasoned  with  you  as  his  equal,  and  struck  the  most  able  with 
surprise.  He  never  forgot  his  own  position,  or  allowed  others 
to  forget  it,  but  he  carried  no  constraint  with  him,  put 
everybody  at  ease,  and  placed  himself  upon  the  level  of  all 
others.  .  .  .  Although  we  often  spoke  upon  religion,  to 
which  I  tried  to  lead  him  so  long  as  I  had  hope  of  success,  I 
never  could  unravel  the  system  he  had  formed  for  himself, 
and  I  ended  by  becoming  persuaded  that  he  wavered  un- 
ceasingly without  forming  any  religion  at  all.  His  passionate 
desire,  like  that  of  his  companions  in  morals,  was  this,  that  it 
would  turn  out  that  there  is  no  God;  but  he  had  too  much 
enlightenment  to  be  an  atheist,  who  is  a  particular  kind  of 
fool  much  more  rare  than  is  thought.  This  enlightenment 
importuned  him;  he  tried  to  extinguish  it  and  could  not.  A 
mortal  soul  would  have  been  to  him  a  resource,  but  he  could 
not  convince  himself  of  its  existence.  A  God  and  an  immortal 
soul  threw  him  into  sad  straits,  and  yet  he  could  not  blind 
himself  to  the  truth  of  both  the  one  and  the  other.  I  can  say 
then  this,  I  know  of  what  religion  he  was  not;  nothing  more. 
I  am  sure,  however,  that  he  was  very  ill  at  ease  upon  this 
point,  and  that  if  a  dangerous  illness  had  overtaken  him,  and 
he  had  had  the  time,  he  would  have  thrown  himself  into  the 
hands  of  all  the  priests  and  all  the  Capuchins  of  the  town."  ^ 

In  1692,  the  Due  de  Chartres,  much  to  the  disgust  of  his 
mother,  was  married  to  Mile,  de  Blois,  daughter  of  the  king 
and  Madame  de  Montespan.  In  1701,  at  the  death  of  his 
father,  he  became  Due  d'Orleans.  The  splendid  establish- 
ment which  the  king  gave  him  at  that  time  has  already  been 
mentioned.  His  profligacy  turned  the  king  and  Madame  de 
Maintenon  against  him,  before  he  had  held  his  new  title  many 
months,  and  a  few  years  later  a  witty  toast  in  ridicule  of 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  which  he  gave  at  a  supper  when  with 
*  Saint-Simon,  II,  pp.  334-337. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

the  army  in  Spain,  finished  the  business.  From  that  moment 
Madame  de  Maintenon  was  his  implacable  enemy,  and  as 
long  as  the  king  lived,  the  Due  d'Orleans  felt  the  weight  of 
her  hand.  He  made  no  attempt  at  reconciliation  on  his  re- 
turn, and  soon  found  himself  in  disgrace.  The  king  treated 
him  very  coldly,  and  the  courtiers,  following  the  king's  ex- 
ample, withdrew  from  him.  He  was  abandoned.  In  1710, 
the  Due  de  Saint-Simon,  the  one  firm  and  true  friend  of  this 
brilliant  but  weak  prince,  stepped  in  to  endeavor  to  reinstate 
him,  if  possible,  with  the  king  and  Madame  de  Maintenon. 

"  I  had  long  seen,"  he  says,  "  that  the  only  way  in  which  M. 
d'Orleans  could  hope  to  recover  his  position  would  be  to  give 
up  his  mistress,  Madame  d'Argenton,  with  whom  he  had 
been  on  terms  of  intimacy  for  many  years  past,  to  the  know- 
ledge and  scandal  of  all  the  world.  I  knew  it  would  be  a  bold 
and  dangerous  game  to  play,  to  try  to  persuade  him  to  sepa- 
rate himself  from  a  woman  he  had  known  and  loved  so  long, 
but  I  determined  to  engage  in  it,  nevertheless,  and  I  looked 
about  for  some  one  to  assist  me  in  this  enterprise.  At  once  I 
cast  my  eyes  upon  the  Marechal  de  Besons,  who  for  many 
years  had  been  the  bosom  friend  of  M.  d'Orleans.  He  ap- 
plauded the  undertaking,  but  doubted,  he  said,  its  success; 
nevertheless,  he  promised  to  aid  me  to  the  utmost  of  his 
power,  and,  as  it  will  be  seen,  was  as  good  as  his  word.  .  .  . 
At  the  commencement  of  17 10,  I  spoke  to  M.  d'Orleans.  I 
began  by  extracting  from  him  an  admission  of  the  neglect 
into  which  he  had  fallen;  the  dislike  of  the  king,  the  hatred 
of  Monseigneur,  who  accused  him  of  wishing  to  replace  his 
son  in  Spain,  the  hatred  of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  whom  he 
had  offended  by  his  bon-mot,  the  suspicions  of  the  public,  who 
talked  of  his  chemical  experiments;  and  then,  throwing  off 
all  fear  of  consequences,  I  said  that  before  he  could  hope  to 
draw  back  his  friends  and  the  world  to  him,  he  must  rein- 
state himself  in  the  favor  of  the  king.  He  appeared  struck 
with  what  I  had  said,  rose  after  a  profound  silence,  paced  to 

324 


The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Chartres 

and  fro,  and  then  asked,  '  But  how  ?  '  Seeing  the  opportunity 
so  good,  I  replied  in  a  firm  and  significant  tone,  '  How  ?  I 
know  well  enough,  but  I  will  never  tell  you ;  and  yet  it  is  the 
only  thing  to  do.'  '  Ah,  I  understand  you,'  he  exclaimed,  as 
though  struck  by  a  thunderbolt ;  *  I  understand  you  perfectly  ' ; 
and  he  threw  himself  upon  a  chair  at  the  end  of  the  room.  I 
broke  the  silence  at  last  by  saying  that  the  state  which  he  was 
in  had  touched  me  to  the  quick,  and  that  I  had  determined,  in 
conjunction  with  the  Marechal  de  Besons,  to  speak  to  him 
upon  the  subject,  and  to  propose  the  only  means  by  which  he 
could  hope  to  bring  about  a  change  in  his  position.  When 
I  thought  I  had  gone  far  enough  for  the  time,  I  left  him, 
evidently  affected  by  what  I  had  said." 

On  the  following  day  the  Due  de  Saint-Simon  and  Mare- 
chal de  Besons  had  a  long  interview  with  the  Due  d'Orleans, 
the  upshot  of  which  was  that  the  duke  finally  agreed  to  give 
up  Madame  d'Argenton;  and  having  agreed,  before  his 
courage  failed  him,  he  sent  a  lackey  at  once  to  Madame  de 
Maintenon  to  ask  for  an  audience.  Madame  de  Maintenon 
was  very  much  surprised  when  M.  d'Orleans  informed  her  of 
his  resolution,  but  appeared  delighted  and  assured  him  that  it 
would  put  him  on  better  terms  than  ever  with  the  king,  M. 
d'Orleans  had  then  an  audience  with  the  king,  who  appeared 
greatly  surprised,  and  spoke  coldly;  his  coldness  was  due  in 
part  to  his  astonishment.  In  the  end,  the  step  taken  by  the 
Due  d'Orleans  improved  his  position  with  the  king,  but 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  though  apparently  more  friendly, 
remained  implacable.  The  king's  death  changed  everything. 
Madame  de  Maintenon  passed  into  retirement  at  St.  Cyr, 
and  M.  d'Orleans  became  Regent  of  France. 

THE  DUCHESSE  DE  CHARTRES 

Mlle.  de  Blois,  daughter  of  the  king  and  Madame  de  Mon- 
tespan,  became  Duchesse  de  Chartres  in  1692,  and  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  in  1701.     "  She  was  tall  and  in  every  way  ma- 

325 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

jestic.  Her  complexion,  her  arms,  her  throat,  were  admira- 
ble; she  had  a  tolerable  mouth,  with  beautiful  teeth,  some- 
what long;  and  cheeks  too  broad  and  too  hanging,  which 
interfered  with,  but  did  not  spoil,  her  beauty.  What  disfig- 
ured her  most  were  her  eyebrows,  which  were,  as  it  were, 
peeled  and  red,  with  very  little  hair;  she  had,  however,  fine 
eyelashes,  and  well-set,  chestnut-colored  hair.  Without  being 
humpbacked  or  deformed,  she  had  one  side  larger  than  the 
other,  and  walked  awry.  She  had  a  good  deal  of  intellect 
and  spoke  with  much  ability.  Her  utterance,  however,  was 
slow  and  embarrassed,  so  that  unaccustomed  ears  followed 
her  with  difficulty.  Every  kind  of  decency  and  decorum 
centered  themselves  in  her,  and  the  most  exquisite  pride  was 
there  upon  its  throne.  Astonishment  will  be  felt  at  what  I 
am  going  to  say,  and  yet  nothing  is  more  strictly  true;  it  is 
that  at  the  bottom  of  her  soul  she  believed  that  she,  the  bastard 
of  the  king,  had  much  honored  the  Due  d'Orleans  in  marry- 
ing him !  The  Due  d'Orleans  often  laughed  at  her  pride,  and 
called  her  *  Madame  Lucifer '  in  speaking  to  her,  and  she  ad- 
mitted that  the  name  did  not  displease  her.  She  always  re- 
ceived his  advances  with  coldness  and  a  sort  of  superiority  of 
greatness.  She  was  a  princess  to  the  backbone,  at  all  hours 
and  in  all  places.  Yet,  at  the  same  time,  her  timidity  was 
extreme.  The  king  could  have  made  her  feel  ill  with  a  single 
severe  look."  ^ 

Madame  has  drawn  a  portrait  of  the  Duchesse  de  Chartres, 
her  most  unwelcome  daughter-in-law.  "  In  my  opinion," 
says  she,  "  my  son's  wife  has  no  charms  at  all.  I  don't  know 
whether  my  son  loves  her  much,  but  I  know  she  does  what  she 
pleases  with  him.  .  .  .  She  paints  beyond  all  measure,  so  that 
she  is  often  quite  red.  She  is  often  ill,  and  always  has  a 
fictitious  malady  in  reserve.  I  believe  that  all  her  indispo- 
sitions and  weaknesses  come  because  she  always  lies  in  bed  or 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  227- 
326 


Mademoiselle  de  Blois 
Duchesse  fie  C"hartres  and  Duchesse  (!'(  )rle'ans 

1 

The  Due  and  Duehesse  de  Chartres 

on  a  sofa;  she  eats  and  drinks  reclining,  through  mere  idle- 
ness. .  .  .  She  is  so  indolent  that  she  will  not  stir ;  she  would 
like  larks  ready  roasted  to  drop  into  her  mouth.  She  is  so 
vain  that  she  thinks  she  has  more  sense  than  her  husband,  who 
has  a  great  deal."  ^ 

The  Due  and  Duehesse  de  Chartres  lived  with  Monsieur 
and  Madame  at  St.  Cloud  or  in  Paris  at  the  Palais  Royal. 
At  Versailles  they  had  apartments  in  the  south  wing  of  the 
chateau. 

*  Memoirs  of  the  Duehesse  d'Orleans,  p.  175. 


327 


VIII 
THE  KING'S  CHILDREN 

THE  children  the  king  had  had  by  his  mistresses 
were  a  source  of  continual  difficulty  at  court. 
Louis  never  neglected  any  of  his  children;  they 
might  be  illegitimate,  but  he  never  on  that  account 
failed  in  his  responsibility  toward  them  as  a  father  and  a  king. 
By  the  Duchesse  de  la  Valliere,  he  had  had  the  Comte  de  Ver- 
mandois  and  Mile,  de  Blois ;  by  Madame  de  Montespan,  eight 
children,  four  of  whom  died  rather  young,  leaving  the  Due  du 
Maine,  Mile,  de  Nantes,  a  second  Mile,  de  Blois,  and  the 
Comte  de  Toulouse.  The  Comte  de  Vermandois  died  in 
1683.  The  king  had  then  three  daughters  and  two  sons  to 
provide  for.  He  declared  them  legitimate,  married  his 
daughters  to  princes  of  the  blood,  and  loaded  his  sons  with 
honors;  but  these  things  were  not  accomplished  without 
scandal  and  hubbub. 

The  first  Mile,  de  Blois,  daughter  of  La  Valliere,  was  mar- 
ried to  Louis-Armand  I,  Prince  de  Conti,  and  ere  long  was 
left  a  widow.  At  Versailles  she  was  called  La  Grande  Prin- 
cesse  de  Conti,  on  account  of  her  beauty  and  height.  "  She 
was  the  one  of  the  king's  illegitimate  daughters  whom  he 
loved  most,"  says  the  Palatine.  "  She  was  by  far  the  most 
polite  and  well  bred."  Monseigneur  liked  her  also.  "  When 
he  was  not  at  the  chase,  Monseigneur  passed  his  time  with  the 
Princesse  de  Conti."  In  addition  to  her  apartments  in  the 
chateau,  the  Princesse  de  Conti  had  her  town  house  in  Ver- 

328 


The  King's  Children 


sailles,  the  Hotel  de  Conti,  to-day  the  town-hall  of  Versailles, 
where  she  gave  many  fetes,  especially  to  the  Due  and  Duch- 
esse  de  Bourgogne.  She  disliked  her  half-sisters,  daughters 
of  Madame  de  Montespan,  and  they,  in  their  turn,  disliked 
her. 

Mile,  de  Nantes,  eldest  daughter  of  Madame  de  Montespan, 
was  married  to  Louis  de  Bourbon,  son  of  the  Prince  de  Conde. 
He  was  Due  de  Bourbon ;  called,  for  short  Monsieur  le  Due, 
and  she,  Mme.  la  Duchesse.  "  She  is  not  prettier  than  her 
daughters,"  says  the  Palatine,  "  but  she  has  more  grace.  Her 
manners  are  more  fascinating  and  agreeable.  Her  wit  shines 
in  her  eyes,  but  there  is  some  malignity  in  them  also.  I  al- 
ways say  she  is  like  a  very  pretty  cat,  which,  while  you  play 
with  it,  lets  you  feel  its  claws.  No  person  has  a  better  car- 
riage of  the  head.  It  is  impossible  to  dance  better  than  the 
duchess  and  her  daughters  can,  but  the  mother  dances  best. 
I  do  not  know  how  it  is,  but  even  her  lameness  is  becoming  to 
her.  She  has  a  talent  of  saying  things  in  so  pleasant  a  man- 
ner that  one  cannot  help  laughing.  If  she  were  not  so 
treacherous,  one  might  say  truly  that  nobody  is  more  amiable. 
But  there  is  nothing  certain  about  her;  although  her  sense 
is  good,  her  heart  is  not."  * 

The  second  Mile,  de  Blois,  daughter  of  Madame  de  Montes- 
pan, was  married,  as  has  already  been  said,  to  the  king's 
nephew,  Philippe,  Due  de  Chartres. 

The  sisters  were  not  on  good  terms.  "  Monsieur  wished 
that  the  Duchesse  de  Chartres  should  always  call  the  others 
'  sister,'  but  that  they  should  never  address  her  except  as 
'  Madame.'  The  Princesse  de  Conti  submitted  to  this,  but 
Mme.  la  Duchesse  set  herself  to  call  the  Duchesse  de  Chartres 
'  mignonne.'  But  nothing  was  less  mignonne  than  her  face 
and  figure ;  and  Monsieur,  feeling  the  ridicule  for  his  daugh- 
ter-in-law, complained  to  the  king.  The  king  prohibited 
*  Memoirs  of  Elizabeth-Charlotte,  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  p.  257. 


329 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

very  severely  this  familiarity.  .  .  .  While  at  Trianon,  the 
princesses  took  it  into  their  heads  to  walk  out  at  night  and 
divert  themselves  with  crackers.  Either  from  malice  or  im- 
prudence, they  let  off  some  one  night  under  the  windows  of 
Monsieur,  rousing  him  thereby  out  of  his  sleep.  He  was  so 
displeased  that  he  complained  to  the  king,  who  made  him 
many  excuses  and  scolded  the  princesses.  Monsieur's  anger 
lasted  a  long  time,  and  the  Duchesse  de  Chartres  felt  it.  I  do 
not  know  if  the  other  two  were  very  sorry.  Mme.  la  Duchesse 
was  accused  of  writing  some  songs  upon  the  Duchesse  de 
Chartres.  .  .  .  One  summer  the  king  took  to  going  very 
often  in  the  evening  to  Trianon,  and  gave  permission  once 
for  all  to  all  the  court  to  follow  him.  There  was  a  grand 
collation  for  the  princesses,  his  daughters,  who  took  their 
friends  there,  and  indeed  all  the  women  went  to  it  if  they 
pleased.  One  day  the  Duchesse  de  Gesvres  took  it  into  her 
head  to  go  to  Trianon  and  partake  of  this  meal.  Her  age, 
her  rarity  at  court,  her  dress,  and  her  face  provoked  the 
princesses  to  make  fun  of  her  in  whispers  with  their  fair  vis- 
itors. She  perceived  this,  and,  without  being  embarrassed, 
took  them  up  so  sharply  that  they  were  silenced  and  looked 
down.  But  this  was  not  all ;  after  the  collation  she  began  to 
talk  so  freely  and  yet  so  humorously  about  them  that  they 
were  frightened,  and  went  and  made  their  excuses,  and  very 
frankly  asked  for  quarter.  Madame  de  Gesvres  was  good 
enough  to  grant  them  this,  but  said  it  was  only  on  condition 
that  they  learned  how  to  behave.  ...  At  Marly  one  evening 
after  the  king  had  gone  to  bed,  and  while  Monseigneur  was 
playing  cards  in  the  salon,  the  Duchesse  de  Chartres  and 
Mme.  la  Duchesse,  who  were  bound  together  by  their  mutual 
aversion  for  the  Princesse  de  Conti,  sat  down  to  a  supper  in 
the  chamber  of  the  first-named.  Monseigneur,  upon  retiring 
late  to  his  own  room,  found  them  smoking  pipes,  which  they 
had  sent  for  from  the  Swiss  Guards !    Knowing  what  would 

330 


Mademoiselle  de  Bluis.  La  Grande  Princesse  de  Conti 


The  King's  Children 


happen  if  the  smell  were  discovered,  he  made  them  leave  off, 
but  the  smoke  had  betrayed  them.  Next  day  the  king  scolded 
them  severely,  at  which  the  Princesse  de  Conti  triumphed. 
Nevertheless,  these  broils  multiplied,  and  the  king  at  last 
grew  so  weary  of  them  that  one  evening  he  called  the  prin- 
cesses before  him,  and  said  that  if  they  did  not  improve  he 
would  banish  them  all  from  court.  This  measure  had  its 
effect ;  calm  and  decorum  returned,  and  supplied  the  place  of 
friendship."  ^ 

The  Due  du  Maine,  eldest  son  of  the  king  and  Madame  de 
Montespan,  was  always  a  favorite  with  Madame  de  Mainte- 
non,  who  had  been  his  governess  from  his  birth.  He  was 
probably  not  as  black  as  Saint-Simon  has  painted  him;  but 
with  the  army  he  was  a  craven,  and  showed  the  white  feather 
in  disgraceful  fashion,  and  at  court  he  was  a  tale-bearer  and 
a  sneak.  He  was  devoured  by  ambition,  and  in  the  king's  old 
age  he  joined  hands  with  Madame  de  Maintenon  in  forcing  a 
will  from  the  king,  appointing  him  the  guardian  of  the  heir 
to  the  throne,  by  which  he  hoped  to  weaken  the  power  of  the 
Due  d'Orleans  as  regent — in  fact,  to  control  the  government 
himself. 

"  The  unfortunate  state  in  which  the  king  was  left  after 
the  death  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,"  says  Saint-Simon, 
"  made  him  seek  relief  everywhere,  in  abandoning  himself 
more  and  more  to  Madame  de  Maintenon  and  M.  du  Maine. 
They  soon  managed  to  obtain  possession  of  him,  leaving  no 
art  unexhausted  in  order  to  flatter,  to  please,  and  to  interest 
him.  He  was  made  to  believe  that  M.  du  Maine  was  utterly 
without  ambition;  like  a  good  father  of  a  family,  solely  oc- 
cupied with  his  children,  touched  with  the  grandeur  of  his 
nearness  to  the  king,  simple,  frank,  upright,  and  one  who 
after  working  at  his  duties  all  day,  and  giving  himself  time 
for  prayer  and  piety,  amused  himself  in  hunting,  and  drew 
*  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  83. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

upon  his  natural  gaiety  and  cheerfulness,  without  knowing 
anything  of  the  court,  or  of  what  was  passing !  Compare  this 
portrait  with  his  real  character,  and  we  shall  feel  with  terror 
what  a  rattlesnake  was  introduced  into  the  king's  privacy. 
Everything  smiled  upon  the  project  of  M.  du  Maine  and 
Madame  de  Maintenon.  They  had  rendered  M.  d'Orleans 
odious  in  the  eyes  of  the  king  by  the  most  execrable  calumnies. 
M.  du  Maine  wished  not  only  to  be  made  prince  of  the  blood, 
but  to  be  made  guardian  of  the  heir  to  the  throne,  so  as  to 
dwarf  the  power  of  the  regent  as  much  as  possible.  He 
wished,  in  fact,  to  take  from  M.  d'Orleans  everything  except 
the  name  of  regent,  and  to  divide  all  power  between  himself 
and  the  Comte  de  Toulouse.  But  Madame  de  Maintenon 
and  M.  du  Maine  had  tough  work  before  they  obtained  this 
success.  They  found  that  the  king  would  not  consent  to 
their  wishes  without  much  opposition.  They  hit  upon  a  devil- 
ish plan  to  overpower  his  resistance.  Hitherto,  they  had  only 
been  occupied  in  pleasing  him,  in  praising  him,  in  anticipating 
his  wishes.  Not  being  able  to  lead  him  as  they  wished,  they 
determined  to  do  so  at  all  cost,  and  they  adopted  another  sys- 
tem. Both  became  serious,  oftentimes  dejected,  silent,  fur- 
nishing nothing  to  the  conversation,  letting  pass  what  the 
king  forced  himself  to  say,  sometimes  not  even  replying,  if  it 
was  not  a  direct  interrogation.  In  this  manner  all  the  leisure 
hours  of  the  king  were  rendered  dull  and  empty.  .  .  .  The 
few  ladies  who  were  admitted  to  the  intimacy  of  the  king 
knew  not  what  to  make  of  the  change  they  saw  in  Madame  de 
Maintenon.  They  were  duped  at  first  by  the  plea  of  illness ; 
but  seeing  at  last  that  its  duration  passed  all  bounds,  that  it 
had  no  intermission,  that  her  face  announced  no  malady,  that 
her  daily  life  was  in  no  way  deranged,  and  that  the  king  be- 
came as  serious  and  sad  as  she,  they  sounded  each  other  to  find 
out  the  cause.  Fear  lest  it  should  be  something  in  which  they, 
unknowingly,  were  concerned,  troubled  them;  so  that  they 

332 


The  King's  Children 


became  even  worse  company  to  the  king  than  Madame  de 
Maintenon.  There  was  no  relief  for  the  king.  All  his  re- 
source was  in  the  commonplace  talk  of  the  Comte  de  Tou- 
louse, who  was  not  amusing,  although  ignorant  of  the  plot, 
and  the  stories  of  his  valets,  who  lost  tongue  as  soon  as  they 
perceived  that  they  were  not  seconded  by  the  Due  du  Maine  in 
his  usual  manner.  .  .  ,  Time  ran  on,  and  the  dejection  of  M. 
du  Maine  and  Madame  de  Maintenon  increased.  This  is  as 
far  as  the  most  instructed  have  ever  been  able  to  penetrate. 
To  describe  the  interior  scenes  that  doubtless  passed  during 
the  long  time  this  state  of  things  lasted,  would  be  to  write 
romance.  Truth  demands  that  we  should  relate  what  we 
know,  and  admit  what  we  are  ignorant  of.  What  is  certain 
is  that  cheerfulness  came  back  all  at  once,  with  the  same  sur- 
prise to  the  witnesses  of  it  as  the  long  dejection  had  caused 
them,  simply  because  they  understood  no  more  of  the  end 
than  of  the  commencement.  But  to  give  some  idea  of  the  op- 
position from  the  king  that  M.  du  Maine  and  Madame  de 
Maintenon  had  to  overcome,  and  to  show  how  reluctantly  he 
consented  to  their  wishes,  more  than  one  incident  may  be 
brought  forward.  Some  days  before  the  news  transpired, 
the  king,  full  of  the  enormity  of  what  he  had  just  done  for 
his  bastards,  looked  at  them  in  his  cabinet,  in  the  presence  of 
the  valets  and  of  D'Antin  and  D'O,  and  in  a  sharp  manner 
that  told  of  vexation,  and  with  a  severe  glance,  suddenly  ad- 
dressed himself  to  M.  du  Maine :  '  You  have  wished  it ;  but 
know  that,  however  great  I  may  make  you,  and  you  may  be 
in  my  lifetime,  you  are  nothing  after  me.  It  will  be  for  you 
then  to  avail  yourself  of  what  I  have  done  for  you,  if  you 
can.'  Everybody  present  trembled  at  a  thunderclap  so  sud- 
den, so  little  expected,  so  entirely  removed  from  the  character 
and  custom  of  the  king,  and  which  showed  so  clearly  the  ex- 
treme ambition  of  the  Due  du  Maine,  and  the  violence  he  had 
done  to  the  weakness  of  the  king,  who  seemed  to  reproach 


333 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

himself  for  it  and  to  reproach  the  bastard  for  his  ambition 
and  tyranny.  The  consternation  of  M.  du  Maine  seemed 
extreme  at  this  rough  sally,  which  no  previous  remark  had 
led  to.  The  king  had  made  a  clean  breast  of  it.  Everybody 
fixed  his  eyes  upon  the  floor,  and  held  his  breath.  The  si- 
lence was  profound;  it  finished  only  when  the  king  passed 
into  the  other  cabinet.  .  .  .  On  Sunday,  the  27th  of  August 
(17 14),  the  chief-president  and  the  attorney-general  were 
sent  for  by  the  king.  He  was  at  Versailles.  As  soon  as  they 
were  alone  with  him,  he  took  from  a  drawer,  which  he  un- 
locked, a  large  and  thick  packet,  sealed  with  seven  seals.  In 
handing  it  to  them,  the  king  said :  *  Gentlemen,  this  is  my 
will.  No  one  but  myself  knows  its  contents.  I  commit  it  to 
you  to  keep  in  the  Parliament,  to  which  I  cannot  give  a 
greater  testimony  of  my  esteem  and  confidence  than  by  ren- 
dering it  the  depository  of  this  document.  The  example  of 
the  kings,  my  predecessors,  and  that  of  the  will  of  the  king, 
my  father,  do  not  allow  me  to  be  ignorant  of  what  may  be- 
come of  this.  But  they  would  have  it ;  they  have  tormented 
me;  they  have  left  me  no  repose,  whatever  I  might  say. 
Very  well!  I  have  bought  my  repose.  Here  is  the  will; 
take  it  away ;  come  what  may  of  it,  at  least  I  shall  have  rest, 
and  shall  hear  no  more  about  it.'  At  the  last  word,  he  fin- 
ished with  a  dry  nod,  turned  his  back  upon  them,  passed  into 
another  cabinet,  and  left  them  both  nearly  turned  to  statues. 
They  looked  at  each  other,  frozen  by  what  they  had  just 
heard,  and  still  more  by  what  they  had  just  seen  in  the  eyes 
and  countenance  of  the  king;  and  as  soon  as  they  had  col- 
lected their  senses,  they  retired  and  went  to  Paris."  ^ 

The  scheme  of  the  Due  du  Maine,  however,  failed  com- 
pletely after  the  king's  death.     Parliament  set  aside  the  dis- 
positions of  the  will  of  Louis  XIV  in  favor  of  his  bastard, 
and  the  Due  d'Orleans  assumed  full  control.     When  the  news 
*  Saint-Simon,  II,  pp.  303-307- 

334 


Bi/ ptriniuion  of  Braun,  CU. 


Anne  Louise  Benedicte  de  Bourbon.  Duchesse  du  Maine 


The  King's  Children 


reached  Madame  de  Maintenon  at  St.  Cyr,  the  failure  of  her 
hopes  threw  her  into  a  fever.  M.  du  Maine  had  married,  in 
1692,  one  of  the  daughters  of  the  Prince  de  Conde.  They 
lived  at  Sceaux,  and  M.  du  Maine  died  there  in  1736. 

Modest,  upright,  and  brave,  the  Comte  de  Toulouse,  second 
son  of  the  king  and  Madame  de  Montespan,  was  the  best  of 
Louis's  children.  He  served  with  ability  in  the  navy,  and  in 
September,  1704,  won  the  battle  of  Malaga  against  the  Eng- 
lish fleet,  commanded  by  Admiral  Rooke.  The  king  loaded 
him  with  honors,  but  no  one  seems  to  have  found  fault.  He 
was  admiral,  grand  huntsman  of  France,  lieutenant-general, 
and  governor  of  Brittany.  His  modesty  and  courtesy  made 
him  many  friends  and  few  enemies. 

The  Comte  de  Toulouse  married  the  widow  of  M.  de 
Gondrin,  and  the  marriage  was  a  happy  one.  The  life  that 
they  lived  at  Rambouillet,  amid  the  scandals  of  the  regency, 
was  virtuous  and  dignified.  M.  de  Toulouse  died  in  1737, 
leaving  behind  him  a  creditable  record. 


335 


IX 

THE    NOBILITY 

IN  referring  to  some  ceremony  or  fete  at  the  court,  the 
expression  is  frequently  used  by  Saint-Simon  and 
others,  "  All  France  was  there."  There  was  less  exag- 
geration in  the  phrase  than  might  at  first  appear.  Very 
few  people  of  distinction  were  absent,  and  if  absent,  they 
made  haste  to  return.  If  they  were  persons  of  quality,  if 
they  wished  to  maintain  their  standing,  if  they  had  sons  and 
daughters  to  marry  and  settle  in  life,  if  they  desired  for  them- 
selves and  for  their  children  some  portion  of  this  world's 
goods,  they  found  it  necessary  to  reside  at  court.  If  they  at- 
tempted to  remain  in  their  chateaux  in  the  provinces,  they  lost 
caste,  they  had  no  society  save  that  of  village  rustics,  their 
sons  had  no  careers,  their  daughters  no  chances  to  marry  well, 
they  were  rated  as  being  too  poor  to  go  to  court,  or  as  having 
incurred  the  displeasure  of  the  king.  Afar  the  stream  of 
glittering  life  flowed  on,  but  they  stuck  in  a  stagnant  pool; 
and  when  from  the  depths  of  their  stagnation  they  sent  some 
soft-voiced  messenger  to  plead  their  cause,  his  spine  was 
chilled  by  the  icy  answer  of  the  royal  lips,  "  I  do  not  know 
them.  They  are  people  I  never  see."  Under  such  circum- 
stances, those  who  had  the  chance  to  choose  did  not  hesitate 
to  quit  the  noblesse  de  province  for  the  noblesse  de  cour. 
Versailles !  All  roads  led  to  it.  In  the  great  chateau,  as  in  a 
reservoir,  were  riches  and  honors  and  all  rank. 

The  policy  begun  by  Louis  in  1661  was  well  established 

336 


The  Nobility 

and  had  borne  fruit  by  the  time  Versailles  became  the  seat 
of  government.  Throughout  France  there  was  not  a  single 
estate  of  any  size  the  proprietor  of  which  was  not  at  court. 
The  new  hotels  of  the  nobility  lined  the  streets  near  the  royal 
palace,  and  their  owners  filled  its  salons  and  formed  each  day 
a  cortege  for  the  king.  The  fathers  of  these  men  had  fought 
Richelieu;  their  ancestors  had  flung  their  banners  to  the 
breeze  and  marched  in  mail  to  battle  with  a  King  of  France 
who  was  little  more  than  King  of  Paris.  But  now,  after  the 
struggle  of  centuries,  the  monarchy  had  come  to  its  own  at 
last.  Each  morning  when  the  king  went  to  mass,  an  ob- 
sequious nobility  awaited  him  in  the  gallery  of  Versailles. 
They  were  all  there;  all,  at  least,  whose  purses  were 
not  empty.  "  Sire,"  said  M.  de  Vardes  to  Louis  XIV, 
"  away  from  Your  Majesty,  one  is  not  only  miserable  but 
ridiculous." 

But  such  concentration  imposed  a  heavy  load  upon  the 
sovereign ;  it  was  the  price  he  had  to  pay  for  his  absolutism. 
As  Taine  has  well  said,  "  A  nobility  for  useful  purposes  is  not 
transformed  with  impunity  into  a  nobility  for  ornament.  .  .  . 
To  be  the  master  of  a  house  is  not  an  easy  task,  especially 
when  several  thousand  persons  are  to  be  entertained.  .  .  . 
The  king  is  expected  to  keep  the  entire  aristocracy  busy,  con- 
sequently to  make  a  display  of  himself,  to  pay  back  with  his 
own  person  at  all  hours.  It  is  the  life  of  an  actor  who  is  on 
the  stage  the  entire  day."  ^ 

The  nobility  had  their  price  to  pay.  The  cost  of  living  at 
court  ate  up  their  incomes;  their  continued  absence  from 
their  estates  made  their  revenues  diminish,  left  their  chateaux 
neglected,  and  much  of  their  land  uncultivated;  high  play 
plunged  them  into  debt.  A  few  years  brought  the  inevitable, 
and  they  became  dependent  on  the  royal  bounty.  When  they 
looked  for  support  to  the  salaries  attached  to  their  posts  at 
^  Taine,  The  Ancient  Regime,  p.  104. 

""  337 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

court,  and  to  the  king's  pensions,  the  last  traces  of  their  inde- 
pendence vanished. 

They  numbered  in  all  some  160,000  persons,  some  25,000 
or  30,000  noble  families  in  a  nation  of  25,000,000  people, 
upon  whom  they  looked  haughtily  and  indifferently,  by  whom 
they  were  disliked,  and  from  whom  they  still  demanded  feudal 
tribute  though  they  themselves  had  ceased  to  render  feudal 
service.  Thus  they  took  something  and  gave  nothing  in  re- 
turn, an  evil  which  in  succeeding  generations  would  bring 
catastrophe.  But  the  day  of  ruin  was  distant  and  undreamed 
of.  Absorbed  in  the  etiquette  and  intrigues  of  Versailles, 
the  noblesse  de  cour  had  neither  time  nor  inclination  to  think 
of  anything  else.  State  affairs  were  not  for  them,  but  for  the 
monarch  and  his  ministers,  in  councils  from  which  they  were 
excluded.  With  the  establishments  they  had  to  maintain, 
their  valets  and  lackeys,  their  equipages,  their  costumes,  their 
high  play,  they  were  always  in  debt,  and  the  poverty  in  the 
provinces  affected  them  in  so  far  only  as  it  reduced  their 
incomes.  They  very  rarely  came  in  contact  with  the  peasants 
on  their  estates,  and  had  therefore  little  personal  interest  in 
them.  Had  they  resided  on  their  estates,  they  would  prob- 
ably have  taken  a  different  attitude,  but  as  it  was,  whenever 
they  received  unpleasant  reports  from  their  intendants,  the 
poverty  was  distant  and  disagreeable.  Duties  at  Versailles, 
on  the  other  hand,  were  real  and  pressing.  One  was  hoping 
to  get  the  post  of  gentleman  usher  to  the  Due  de  Bourgogne, 
but  Madame  de  Maintenon  had  never  smiled  on  him,  and  so 
he  was  hurrying  hither  and  thither  to  find  some  person  with 
influence  enough  to  win  her  over;  another  was  all  upset  be- 
cause somebody  had  taken  precedence  of  her  at  the  king's 
supper,  and  was  trying  to  make  her  husband  complain  to  the 
king;  a  third  was  wondering  if  he  would  get  the  royal  candle- 
stick at  the  coucher;  a  fourth  was  bound  to  have  the  position 
of  lady  of  honor  to  one  of  the  princesses,  and  was  raising 

338 


Henri  de  Latour  d"Auvergne,  Marechal  dc  Turenut; 


The  Nobility 

heaven  and  earth  to  spite  a  fifth  who  had  set  her  cap  for  the 
same  post.  There  were  hundreds  of  others  busy  about  just 
such  matters,  and  all  these  things  were  vital.  Versailles  pro- 
duced its  type,  the  grand  seigneur,  "  polished  but  hard  as 
marble."  He  was  master  of  his  features  and  his  emotions; 
he  smiled  alike  on  friends  and  enemies;  he  concealed  his 
thoughts  and  disguised  his  passions ;  he  knew  when  to  speak 
and  when  to  sigh  and  when  to  be  silent ;  he  was  alert  and  on 
his  guard ;  he  had  wit  and  charm ;  his  pose  and  manners  were 
perfect;  he  measured  men  to  the  fraction  of  an  inch  and  ap- 
peared only  with  those  from  whom  something  was  to  be 
gained.  But,  above  all,  he  had  the  court  air.  "The  court 
air  is  contagious,"  says  La  Bruyere.  "  It  pervades  Versailles 
as  the  Norman  accent  pervades  Rouen  or  Falaise.  It  appears 
in  the  lackeys,  in  the  grooms  of  the  Stables,  in  the  people  of 
the  Fruit-loft." 

At  the  head  of  the  nobility  came  the  princes  of  the  blood. 
Henri  Jules  de  Bourbon,  Prince  de  Conde,  called  for  short 
M.  le  Prince,  had  the  prestige  of  his  father,  the  Great  Conde, 
and  a  splendid  establishment  at  Chantilly;  but  M.  le  Prince 
himself,  though  not  without  ability,  was  choleric  and  eccen- 
tric to  the  last  degree,  and  was  thoroughly  disliked  by  every- 
body. His  son,  M.  le  Due  de  Bourbon,  was  no  better ;  "  a 
marvelously  little  man,  short,  without  being  fat,  of  a  livid 
yellow,  nearly  always  looked  furious,  and  was  so  proud,  and 
so  audacious,  that  it  was  difficult  to  get  used  to  him."  ^  Al- 
though the  king  had  married  his  daughter.  Mile,  de  Nantes, 
to  M.  le  Due,  His  Majesty  could  endure  neither  the  son  nor 
the  father.  M.  le  Prince  de  Conti,  on  the  other  hand,  was 
popular.  "  He  endeavored  to  please  the  cobbler,  the  lackey,  the 
porter,  as  well  as  the  minister  of  state,  the  grand  seigneur, 
the  general,  and  all  so  naturally  that  success  was  certain.  He 
was  consequently  the  constant  delight  of  every  one."  ^ 
'  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  120.  '  Idem,  II,  p.  67. 

339 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

A  fine  example  of  the  best  type  of  grand  seigneur  was  the 
Due  de  Beauvilliers,  governor  of  the  Enfants  de  France. 
The  Due  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  grand  huntsman  of  France, 
never  missing  the  king's  lever  or  concher  for  ten  years  in 
succession,  was  the  perfect  courtier.  The  Due  de  Lauzun 
had  a  sharp  tongue,  and  his  whole  life  was  filled  with  sur- 
prising adventures.  The  Due  de  Gesvres  was  a  malicious  old 
man,  who  had  sprung  from  almost  nothing  and  was  not 
ashamed  of  it.  The  Marechal  Due  de  Villeroi,  who  entered 
always  with  his  grand  air  and  his  "  accustomed  hubbub,"  was 
"  full  of  wind,  lightness,  and  frivolity."  ^  The  Duchesse  de 
Nemours,  who  was  extremely  rich,  had  a  "  droll  way  of 
dressing,  big  eyes,  a  shoulder  that  twitched  constantly,  gray 
hairs  which  she  wore  flowing,  and  an  imposing  air."  ^  The 
haughty  Due  de  Vendome  was  a  bad  general  and  a  base  prof- 
ligate. The  Bishop  of  Orleans  was  a  man  "  whose  face  spoke 
at  once  of  the  virtue  and  benignity  he  possessed.  Young 
and  old  were  afraid  to  say  a  foul  word  in  his  presence."  ^ 
The  Due  d'Elboeuf  was  a  good  courtier,  but  deplored  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  king's  illegitimate  children.  The  Due  de 
Luxembourg  was  brilliant  in  battle,  but  out  of  it  was  "  idle- 
ness itself."  The  Marechal  de  Boufflers  was  brave,  virtuous, 
and  magnificent  in  hospitality.  The  Chevalier  de  Coislin 
was  a  cynic,  who  went  out  of  his  way  to  avoid  meeting  the 
king.  The  Comtesse  de  Mailly  had  wit,  but  could  never  over- 
come her  "provincial  awkwardness."  The  handsome  and 
sprightly  Marechale  de  Rochefort  was  "  full  of  worldly 
cleverness,  but  with  little  cleverness  of  any  other  kind."  ^  M. 
de  Villars,  "  one  of  the  best-made  men  in  France,"  had  a  repu- 
tation for  courage  and  skill.  The  Cardinal  de  Bouillon  was 
full  of  pride  and  pretension.  M.  de  Duras  had  put  himself 
on  such  a  footing  that  he  said  anything  he  pleased.     M.  de 

^  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  227.  '  Idem,  I,  p.  81. 

'  Idem,  I,  p.  379.  *  Idem,  I,  p.  18. 


The  Nobility 

Puysieux,  for  some  time  ambassador  to  Switzerland,  "  a  little 
fat  man  and  very  agreeable,"  was  "  the  best  fellow  in  the 
world."  *  The  Prince  d'Harcourt  "  looked  like  a  nobleman, 
but  reminded  one  at  the  same  time  of  a  country  actor."  ^ 
The  Comtesse  de  Fiesque  was  full  of  odd  fancies,  passed  her 
life  with  the  most  frivolous,  "  frittering  away  all  her  sub- 
stance, and  allowing  herself  to  be  pillaged  by  her  business 
people."  Harlay,  Chief-President  of  Parliament,  was  a 
"  perfect  hypocrite ;  affecting  a  bending  attitude,  shaving 
along  the  walls  to  make  people  make  way  for  him  with 
greater  noise,  and  working  his  way  at  Versailles  by  a  series 
of  respectful  and,  as  it  were,  shamefaced  bows  to  the  right 
and  left."  ^  M.  de  Langlee  had  made  himself  such  a  "  master 
of  fashions  and  fetes  that  none  of  the  latter  were  given,  even 
by  the  princes  of  the  blood,  except  under  his  directions." 
The  Comtesse  de  La  Marck  was  "tall,  stout,  and  coarse- 
featured  as  a  Swiss  guard  in  woman's  clothes;  bold,  auda- 
cious, talking  loudly  and  always  with  authority;  polished, 
however,  and  of  good  manners  when  she  pleased;  the  most 
imperious  woman  in  the  world."  ^ 

Such  were  a  few  of  the  thousands  who  trod  the  pavement 
of  the  court,  who  waited  in  the  gallery,  in  the  morning,  to 
accompany  the  king  to  mass,  who  promenaded  in  the  park, 
who  plotted  in  the  antechambers.  They  would  long  ago 
have  been  forgotten,  and  all  traces  of  them  would  have  van- 
ished, but  for  the  surpassing  talent  of  one  man.  Louis  de 
Rouvroy,  Due  de  Saint-Simon,  rescued  them  from  oblivion. 

THE  DUC  DE  SAINT-SIMON 

Louis  de  Saint-Simon,  only  child  of  Claude,  Due  de  Saint- 
Simon,  by  his  second  wife,  Charlotte  de  I'Aubespine,  was 
born  on  the  15th  of  January,  1675,  ^"^  until  the  death  of  his 

'  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  315.  *  Idem,  I,  p.  44. 

''Idem,  I,  p.  254.  *Idem,  I,  p.  160. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

father  bore  the  name  of  Vidame  de  Chartres.  In  1691  he 
was  presented  for  the  first  time  to  the  king.  "  My  father 
took  me  to  Versailles,  where  he  had  not  been  for  many  years, 
and  begged  of  the  king  admission  for  me  into  the  Musketeers. 
It  was  on  the  day  of  St.  Simon  and  St.  Jude,  at  half-past 
twelve,  and  just  as  His  Majesty  came  out  of  the  council. 
The  king  did  my  father  the  honor  of  embracing  him  three 
times,  and  then  turned  toward  me.  Finding  that  I  was  little 
and  of  delicate  appearance,  he  said  I  was  still  very  young; 
to  which  my  father  replied  that  I  should  be  able  in  conse- 
quence to  serve  longer,"  ^ 

But  Saint-Simon  did  not  serve  long.  He  was  brave 
enough,  and  at  Neerwinden  he  led  five  cavalry  charges;  but 
army  life  was  not  to  his  taste,  and  because  he  did  not  receive 
the  promotion  to  which  he  thought  his  ducal  rank  entitled 
him,  he  resigned  his  commission,  "  Well,  monsieur,  here  is 
another  man  who  quits  us,"  said  the  king  to  Chamillart. 
Louis  was  piqued.  The  first  time  that  the  young  duke  ap- 
peared at  Versailles  after  this  episode,  the  king  overwhelmed 
him  by  a  single  act  of  politeness.  He  heard  himself  named 
at  the  coucher  to  hold  the  royal  candlestick.  After  that  the 
king  neither  spoke  to  him  nor  looked  at  him  for  two  years. 
Saint-Simon  married  a  daughter  of  the  Marechal  de  Lorges. 
She  was  a  woman  of  fine  character  and  much  good  sense,  and 
her  tact,  together  with  the  duke's  scheming,  brought  him 
again  into  some  appearance  of  favor. 

The  chief  aim  of  Saint-Simon's  existence  was  to  advance 
the  power  of  the  dukes.  To  him  the  ducal  dignity  was  the 
one  thing,  and  the  only  thing,  of  importance  in  the  state,  and 
in  attempting  to  advance  the  ducal  order,  Saint-Simon 
clashed  continually  with  the  Grand  Monarch.  "  Since  you 
left  my  service,"  said  the  king,  coldly,  in  one  interview,  "  you 
think  of  nothing  but  studying  ranks  and  bringing  actions 
*  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  3. 


Louis  de  Rouvroy,  Due  de  Saint-Simon,  at  the  Age  of  Fourteen 


The  Nobility 

against  all  the  world.  If  I  were  wise,  I  would  send  you  so 
far  off  that  you  would  not  worry  me  for  a  long  time."  Saint- 
Simon  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  and  did  not  wilt 
even  before  this  blast.  He  continued  his  intrigues  in  behalf 
of  the  dukes,  and  his  political  caliber  may  be  measured  by  the 
attitude  he  took  at  the  king's  death.  "  I  went  to  the  Due 
d'Orleans,  whom  I  found  shut  in,  but  all  his  apartments  so 
full  that  a  pin  could  not  have  fallen  to  the  ground.  I  talked 
of  the  Convocation  of  the  States-General,  and  reminded  him 
of  a  promise  he  had  given  me  that  he  would  allow  the  dukes 
to  keep  their  hats  on  when  their  votes  were  taken.  All  I 
could  obtain  from  him  was  another  promise  that  when  public 
affairs  of  pressing  moment  awaiting  attention  were  disposed 
of,  we  should  have  all  we  required."  ^  At  such  a  time,  the 
right  of  the  dukes  to  wear  their  hats  on  a  particular  occasion 
was  the  main  thing  in  Saint-Simon's  mind. 

However,  it  is  not  as  a  political  man  that  Saint-Simon  is 
interesting,  but  as  biographer  and  historian  of  the  court.  In 
that  capacity  he  stands  without  a  peer.  He  spared  no  one, 
not  even  himself;  he  was  vindictive,  but  he  was  always  bril- 
liant. With  his  marvelous  grasp  of  detail,  nothing  escaped 
him,  while  his  lofty  intelligence  and  all-seeing  eye  revealed 
the  motives  of  men.  One  can  fancy  with  what  astonishment 
the  Grand  Monarch  would  have  received  the  information 
that  he  and  his  court  would  be  best  known  to  future  gener- 
ations through  the  genius  of  a  busybody,  who  spent  his  time 
quibbling  about  ducal  rights. 

*  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  32. 


343 


X 

MECHANISM  OF  THE  COURT  LIFE 

THE  court  of  Versailles  was  no  longer  that  of  St. 
Germain,  coming  from  time  to  time  to  glitter  at 
Versailles  in  tilts  and  fetes  in  honor  of  La  Val- 
liere  or  Montespan.  Since  1682  Versailles  had  be- 
come the  seat  of  government,  the  royal  house,  headquarters 
of  pomp,  and  home  of  majesty.  Beside  Louis  the  Mag- 
nificent appeared  Maintenon  the  Sanctimonious,  and  behind 
them,  erect,  rigid,  like  a  man  at  arms,  stood  Etiquette,  im- 
movable, absolute,  supreme.  For  the  new  Versailles  they 
were  the  new  Trinity,  by  whom  all  things  were  done,  with- 
out whom  nothing  could  be  done.  The  new  court  had  in- 
creased in  numbers,  had  gained  in  luxury,  and  moved  in 
prodigious  splendor,  but  its  life  was  rigorous,  monotonous, 
and  fatiguing. 

The  occupations  and  pleasures  of  the  royal  family  and  of 
the  courtiers  changed  three  times  a  year,  dividing  the  year 
into  three  periods,  the  winter  and  the  carnival,  Lent,  spring 
and  summer. 

In  winter  they  had  the  appartement,  comedy,  concerts, 
balls,  play  (gambling),  and  masquerades;  during  the  carnival 
the  number  of  balls  and  masquerades  was  doubled.  The 
appartements,  that  is  to  say,  the  evening  receptions  of  the 
king,  were  held  every  week,  from  the  beginning  of  October 
until  Palm  Sunday.  As  a  rule,  the  evenings  of  each  week 
during  the  winter  were  regulated  as  follows:  on  Sunday^ 

344 


Mechanism  of  the  Court  Life 


appartement ;  on  Monday,  comedy;  on  Tuesday,  nothing; 
on  Wednesday,  appartement ;  on  Thursday,  comedy,  and  so 
on,  every  third  evening  being  free.  When  snow  fell,  there 
were  promenades  in  sledges  in  the  park  or  on  the  grand  canal. 
Almost  every  day  came  the  chase,  the  stag-hunts  of  the  king, 
the  wolf-hunts  of  Monseigneur,  or  of  the  Due  de  Berry,  in 
the  forest  of  St.  Germain,  in  the  woods  of  Meudon,  in  the 
woods  of  Versailles;  or  the  shooting  parties  in  the  parks  of 
Versailles  and  Marly.  Only  such  severe  cold  as  that  of  the 
terrible  winter  of  1709  could  stop  the  hunt. 

In  summer  there  were  promenades  in  gondolas  with  music 
on  the  canal,  promenades  in  the  Orangery,  promenades  in  the 
gardens,  on  foot,  on  horse,  and  in  carriages,  collations  and 
concerts  at  Trianon  or  at  the  Menagerie,  visits  to  the  Stables 
to  see  equerries  mount  new  horses,  and,  as  always,  the  chase 
—  the  stag-hunt  or  the  shooting  party. 

At  fixed  epochs  came  the  journeys  (les  voyages)  to  Com- 
piegne  and  Fontainebleau :  Compiegne,  in  the  spring;  Fon- 
tainebleau,  in  the  autumn.  The  diversions  there  were  the 
same  as  at  Versailles,  the  chase,  the  promenade,  comedy,  con- 
certs, balls,  play ;  but  in  addition,  at  Fontainebleau  the  court 
watched  games  of  tennis  and  mall,  hunted  the  stag  in  the 
toils,  and  rode  to  Franchart,  where  they  dined.  At  Com- 
piegne there  were  frequently  camps  and  reviews  of  the  army. 
Journeys  to  Marly  occurred  at  all  seasons,  and  there,  with 
fewer  people  and  less  etiquette,  they  had  comedy,  concerts, 
balls,  chase,  and  play. 

At  fixed  epochs,  also,  came  the  religious  fetes,  the  proces- 
sion of  Corpus  Christi,  the  jubilee,  Holy  Week,  and,  from 
time  to  time,  periods  of  mourning  to  break  the  regular  train 
of  the  court  life.  Grand  ceremonies,  receptions  of  ambassa- 
dors, of  flags  taken  from  the  enemy,  ceremonies  of  the  Order 
of  St.  Esprit  and  the  admission  of  new  knights,  royal  mar- 
riages  and  marriage-fetes,   set  in  motion  all   vanities  and 

345 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

caused  continual  disputes  and  difficulties  as  to  precedence, 
rank,  and  place. 

Daily  and  in  all  seasons,  there  were  the  lever  and  coucher 
of  the  king,  the  mass,  the  dinner  and  supper  of  the  king, 
chase  or  promenade,  play  or  collation. 

Each  of  these  events  —  the  lever,  the  chase,  the  prome- 
nade —  was  a  bit  of  gorgeous  color.  The  reception  of  an 
ambassador,  a  ball  in  the  grand  gallery,  were  scenes  of  un- 
rivaled magnificence.  At  all  times  and  in  all  places,  the 
complicated  and  glittering  mechanism  of  the  court  placed  the 
majestic  figure  of  the  King  of  France  in  a  setting  of  supreme 
splendor.  It  was  unique  and  wonderful.  It  was  not  created, 
however,  to  promote  the  individual  happiness  of  its  ten  thou- 
sand component  parts,  but  to  produce  dazzling  results  by 
numbers  and  by  combinations  of  colors.  "  The  province," 
says  La  Bruyere,  "  is  the  viewpoint  from  which  the  court  ap- 
pears truly  admirable.  If  one  approaches,  its  charms  dimin- 
ish, as  those  of  a  landscape  that  are  seen  too  near." 

The  first  duty  of  a  courtier  was  to  see  the  king  each  day  as 
often  as  possible.  "  I  paid  my  court  to  the  king,"  wrote  the 
Due  de  Lauzun,  "  and  I  hunted  him  very  punctually."  "  I 
scarcely  saw  the  king  once  a  day,"  wrote  Saint-Simon,  at  the 
time  of  his  agitation  at  the  illness  of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne. 
To  see  the  king  once  a  day  was  nothing.  He  must  be  seen 
at  the  lever  and  at  the  coucher,  at  dinner  and  at  supper,  at  the 
promenade,  and  if  possible  when  he  changed  his  coat  and 
boots.  In  this  particular  the  Due  de  la  Rochefoucauld, 
grand  huntsman  of  France,  was  the  type  of  the  perfect  cour- 
tier. "  He  never  missed  the  king's  lever  and  coucher,  both 
changes  of  dress  every  day,  the  hunts  and  the  promenades, 
likewise  every  day,  for  ten  years  in  succession,  never  sleep- 
ing away  from  the  place  where  the  king  was,  and  yet  on  a 
footing  to  demand  leave."  If  one  was  to  make  one's  way  at 
court,  this  assiduity  was  essential.     The  eye  of  the  master 

346 


Mechanism  of  the  Court  Life 


never  failed  to  note  the  present  and  the  absent.  "  His  Majesty- 
looked  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  not  only  at  his  lever  and 
coucher,  but  at  his  meals,  in  passing  through  his  apartments, 
or  his  gardens  of  Versailles.  He  saw  and  noticed  everybody ; 
not  one  escaped  him,  not  even  those  who  hoped  to  remain  un- 
noticed. He  marked  well  all  absentees  from  court,  found  out 
the  reason  for  their  absence,  and  never  lost  an  opportunity 
of  acting  toward  them  as  occasion  might  seem  to  justify." 
In  the  face  of  such  omniscience,  only  the  fool  absented  him- 
self from  lever,  mass,  or  promenade,  thinking  that  in  the 
crowd  the  king  would  never  know.  Never  know  ?  Take  for 
example  that  scene  at  the  birth  of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne. 
"  Although  the  chamber  was  filled  with  the  princes  and  prin- 
cesses of  the  blood,  and  a  large  number  of  other  people  whose 
presence  was  necessary  for  the  service,  the  king,  judging  that 
the  moment  of  the  delivery  was  near,  and  with  that  presence 
of  mind  which  never  fails  him,  saw  at  a  glance,  in  spite  of  the 
number  of  persons  crowded  in  the  chamber,  that  M.  le 
Prince  de  Conti  was  not  there.  He  gave  orders  that  he 
should  be  summoned  immediately." 

Since  so  large  a  number  of  people  were  involved  in  the 
king's  daily  life,  it  was  necessary  that  they  should  know  each 
morning  what  his  movements  were  to  be,  and  that  he  should 
be  punctual.  His  Majesty  was  punctuality  itself.  After  his 
lever  he  passed  into  his  cabinet.  "  He  found  there  or  was 
followed  by  all  who  had  the  entrees,  a  very  numerous  com- 
pany, for  it  included  everybody  in  any  office.  He  gave 
orders  to  each  for  the  day.  Thus  within  half  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  it  was  known  what  he  meant  to  do,  and  then  all  this 
crowd  left  directly."  The  courtiers  could  then  plan  their 
day.  They  must  attend  mass,  which  came  shortly  after  the 
lever,  and  they  were  then  free,  while  the  king  was  in  council, 
until  one  o'clock,  when  the  king  dined.  They  were  expected 
to  be  present  at  the  dinner ;  the  mechanism  of  the  court  gave 


347 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

them  nothing  to  eat  at  that  hour,  but  they  stood  in  the  royal 
bedchamber,  and  formed  a  brilHant  background.  They 
dined  in  their  apartments  in  the  chateau,  or  in  their  hotels  in 
Versailles,  before  or  after  the  king's  dinner,  as  they  pleased. 
But  aside  from  obligation,  self-interest  made  the  courtiers 
crowd  to  the  king's  dinner,  because  immediately  after  it  His 
Majesty  granted  audiences  to  the  nobility,  before  he  went  to 
walk  or  drive  or  hunt.  In  the  afternoon  the  courtiers  were 
free  unless  there  was  a  promenade,  in  which  case,  at  Ver- 
sailles and  Trianon,  all  the  courtiers  were  expected  to  be 
present;  at  Marly  only  the  chief  officers  followed  the  king 
to  the  promenade.  If  there  was  a  stag-hunt,  only  those  were 
allowed  to  go  who  had  obtained  permission  once  for  all,  and 
leave  to  wear  the  blue  uniform  with  gold  and  silver  lace. 
When  the  king  returned  from  the  chase  and  changed  his 
dress,  a  few  courtiers  were  present,  distinguished  people 
whom  it  pleased  the  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber  to  admit. 
This  gave  opportunity  to  speak  a  word  or  two  to  the  king 
almost  in  private,  and  was  a  privilege  much  sought  after,  and 
granted  to  few.  The  majority  of  the  courtiers  were  free 
until  the  king's  supper  at  ten  o'clock,  when  all  the  court,  sit- 
ting or  standing,  formed  the  background  for  the  supper- 
table  of  the  royal  family.  About  midnight  the  ceremony  of 
the  concher,  at  which  all  the  courtiers  were  expected  to  be 
present,  closed  the  day. 

Attendance  at  court  performances  was  compulsory.  "  News 
reached  the  court,  which  was  at  Fontainebleau,  that  M.  de 
Duras  was  at  the  point  of  death.  Upon  hearing  this,  Madame 
de  Saint-Simon  and  Madame  de  Lauzun,  who  were  both  re- 
lated to  M.  de  Duras,  wished  to  absent  themselves  from  the 
comedy  that  was  to  be  given  in  the  palace  that  evening. 
They  expressed  this  wish  to  Madame  de  Bourgogne,  who 
approved  of  it,  but  said  she  was  afraid  the  king  would  not 
do  the  same.     He  had  been  very  angry  of  late  because  some 

348 


Mechanism  of  the  Court  Life 


ladies  had  neglected  to  go  in  full  dress  to  the  court  per- 
formance; and  the  few  words  he  had  spoken  made  every- 
body take  good  care  not  to  rouse  his  anger  on  this  point  again. 
Madame  de  Bourgogne  was  afraid  that  he  would  not  con- 
sent to  dispense  with  the  attendance  of  Madame  de  Saint- 
Simon  and  Madame  de  Lauzun  on  this  occasion.  They  com- 
promised the  matter,  therefore,  by  dressing  themselves,  going 
to  the  apartment  where  the  performance  was  held,  and,  under 
pretext  of  not  finding  places,  going  away.  Madame  de  Bour- 
gogne agreed  to  explain  in  this  way  their  absence  to  the 
king."  ^  If  in  the  case  of  a  dying  relative  it  was  so  difficult 
to  manage  the  matter,  it  may  easily  be  seen  that  on  ordinary 
occasions  no  excuse  was  accepted  from  a  person  who  was  well 
enough  to  walk.  The  court  must  march,  at  all  times  and  in 
all  seasons.  If  the  lever  and  coucher,  the  comedy,  the  colla- 
tion, the  promenade,  were  each  day  to  be  equally  brilliant, 
the  court  must  march.  If  the  setting  in  which  the  King  of 
France  moved  was  to  maintain  a  uniform  splendor,  the  court 
must  march.  The  king  must  march,  likewise.  He  did  so 
with  the  regularity  of  the  sun,  his  emblem.  Those  were  wise 
words  he  addressed  to  his  cousin.  Mile,  de  Montpensier,  when 
he  went  to  see  her  new  house  at  Choisy.  He  blamed  her  for 
not  ornamenting  the  facade.  "  We  have  no  right  to  be  care- 
less," said  he.  "  Since  universal  agreement  has  made  us 
what  we  are,  we  must  know  how  to  carry  our  burden,  and  we 
must  lay  it  down  at  no  time  and  in  no  place."  That  was  his 
standard,  and  he  lived  up  to  it;  but  to  carry  the  burden  re- 
quired his  vigor,  his  constitution,  the  firmness  of  his  nerves, 
and  his  power  of  accomplishing  work  in  spite  of  the  tram- 
mels of  etiquette.     His  successors  staggered  under  the  load. 

The  mechanism  of  the  king's  life  was  so  perfect  that,  with 
a  watch  in  the  hand,  it  was  possible  for  one  to  tell  on  any  day 
in  the  year  and  at  any  hour  of  the  day  what  His  Majesty  was 
*  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  314. 


349 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

doing.  Saint-Simon  notes  a  trifle  like  the  following :  "  The 
last  evening  of  this  year  (1708)  was  very  remarkable,  be- 
cause there  had  not  yet  been  an  example  of  any  such  thing. 
The  king  having  retired  after  supper  to  his  cabinet  as  usual 
with  his  family,  Chamillart  came  without  being  sent  for. 
He  whispered  in  the  king's  ear  that  he  had  a  long  despatch 
from  the  Marechal  de  Boufflers.  Immediately  the  king  said 
good  night  to  Monseigneur  and  the  princesses,  who  went  out 
with  every  one  else;  and  the  king  actually  worked  for  an 
hour  with  his  minister  before  going  to  bed,  so  excited  was  he 
by  the  great  project  for  retaking  Lille !  "  He  worked  every 
evening  with  his  ministers  in  the  apartments  of  Madame  de 
Maintenon  from  seven  o'clock  until  ten,  when  he  went  to 
supper.  What  makes  this  case  so  astounding  in  Saint- 
Simon's  eyes  is  the  fact  that  on  the  night  in  question  the  king 
worked  between  eleven  and  twelve.  It  was  "  very  remark- 
able, because  there  had  not  yet  been  an  example  of  any  such 
thing."  Those  few  words  speak  volumes  for  the  mechanism. 
Note  this  also.  The  king  was  on  the  way  to  his  carriage  to 
go  to  the  hunt.  M.  de  Duras,  who  was  in  waiting,  made  a 
statement  about  a  certain  matter.  "  At  this,  the  king 
stopped,  and  turning  round,  a  thing  he  scarcely  ever  did  in 
walking,  replied."  The  fact  that  so  slight  a  check  in  the 
royal  progress  is  noted  and  commented  upon,  shows  with 
what  mathematical  precision  the  Grand  Monarch  moved. 

In  addition  to  seeing  the  king  as  often  as  possible,  the 
courtiers  had  to  be  up  betimes.  The  royal  lever  was  at 
eight  o'clock,  but  the  true  courtier  was  also  at  the  lever  of 
Monseigneur,  or  at  those  of  the  princes  of  the  blood,  which 
came  earlier,  because  the  princes  and  Monseigneur  had  to  be 
at  the  lever  of  the  king,  and  promptly  at  eight,  too,  since 
they  had  the  first  entree.  "  At  what  hour  will  monsieur  be 
called?"  inquired  the  valet  of  the  Marechal  de  Noailles,  one 
night,  as  he  closed  his  master's  bed-curtains.     "At  eight 

350 


be 


Ph 


X 


Mechanism  of  the  Court  Life 


o'clock,  if  no  one  dies  during  the  night."  If  any  one  died, 
there  was  not  a  moment  to  be  lost  in  asking  for  his  place. 
Take  the  case  of  La  Vrilliere.  "  Chateauneuf,  Secretary  of 
State,  died  about  this  time  (1700).  He  had  asked  that  his 
son,  La  Vrilliere,  might  be  allowed  to  succeed  him,  and  was 
much  vexed  that  the  king  refused  this  favor.  The  news  of 
Chateauneuf's  death  was  brought  to  La  Vrilliere  by  a  courier 
at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  He  did  not  lose  his  wits  at 
the  news,  but  at  once  sent  and  woke  up  the  Princesse  d'Har- 
court,  and  begged  her  to  come  and  see  him  instantly.  Open- 
ing his  purse,  he  prayed  her  to  go  to  see  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  as  soon  as  she  got  up,  and  propose  his  marriage  with 
Mile,  de  Mailly,  whom  he  would  take  without  dowry  if  the 
king  gave  him  his  father's  appointments.  The  Princesse 
d'Harcourt,  whose  habit  it  was  to  accept  any  sum,  from  a 
crown  upward,  willingly  undertook  this  business.  She  went 
to  Madame  de  Maintenon  immediately,  and  then  repaired  to 
Madame  de  Mailly,  who,  without  property,  and  burdened 
with  sons  and  daughters,  was  in  no  way  adverse  to  the  mar- 
riage. The  king,  upon  getting  up,  was  duly  made  acquainted 
with  La  Vrilliere's  proposal,  and  at  once  agreed  to  it."  Thus 
we  see  La  Vrilliere,  learning  the  news  of  his  father's  death 
at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  buying  the  services  of  the 
Princesse  d'Harcourt,  securing  Madame  de  Maintenon  and 
Madame  de  Mailly,  and  having  everything  cut  and  dried  by 
eight  o'clock,  when  the  king  woke  and  learned  of  the  death 
of  Chateauneuf.  That  was  to  be  up  betimes.  La  Vrilliere 
had  three  hours  to  effect  his  combination,  but  wonderful 
combinations  were  often  made  at  court  in  much  less  time. 
As  a  rule,  then,  at  Versailles  the  courtier,  who  made  his  way 
and  was  alive  to  his  interests,  was  up  and  dressed  and  ready 
for  action  by  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

For  women  there  were  the  same  duties  toward  the  queen 
that  men  performed  toward  the  king,  and  when  the  queen 


351 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

died,  the  duties  were  toward  the  dauphine,  who  held  court  in 
her  place.  The  public  toilet  of  the  dauphine  demanded  the 
presence  of  both  men  and  women.  At  her  dinner  the  dau- 
phine was  served  by  women  only;  she  supped  always  with 
the  king  and  the  royal  family  in  the  king's  antechamber.  At 
Versailles  women  did  not  appear  at  the  king's  dinner,  except 
on  rare  occasions  when  he  dined  au  grand  convert.  At 
Marly,  however,  the  king  dined  always  with  the  ladies  invited 
there. 

The  old  courtier  who  gave  to  a  novice  the  following  rules 
for  success  at  court,  "  Speak  well  of  everybody,  ask  for  every 
vacant  place,  and  sit  down  when  you  can,"  touched,  in  the 
last,  upon  that  phase  of  the  mechanism  which  made  court  life 
so  fatiguing.  Standing  continually  is  very  wearisome,  and 
at  Versailles  a  courtier  could  rarely  sit  down.  Etiquette 
forbade  him  to  sit  in  the  antechambers,  in  the  state  apart- 
ments, and  in  the  gallery.  He  stood  at  the  royal  lever  and 
coucher,  at  the  dinner  and  supper,  at  the  assembly,  at  the  ball, 
at  the  toilet  of  Mme.  la  Dauphine.  He  could  sit  at  mass,  at 
the  comedy,  and  at  the  card-table;  but  the  relaxation  thus 
afforded  was  slight,  after  all.     He  passed  his  days  on  his  feet. 

The  triumph  of  the  mechanism,  and  that  phase  of  it  which 
made  it  possible  for  the  king  to  detect  the  absent  almost  at  a 
glance,  was  the  fact  that  at  all  times,  not  only  at  ceremonies, 
but  at  balls  and  diversions,  it  preserved  the  relative  value  of 
its  component  parts.  Take  for  example  the  arrangement 
at  a  ball,  as  given  by  Saint-Simon :  "  The  balls  at  Versailles 
were  always  in  the  form  of  a  quadrilateral.  At  one  side,  in 
the  center,  was  the  arm-chair  of  the  king,  and  at  either  side 
of  it,  on  the  same  line,  the  seats  for  the  royal  family,  as  far 
as  and  including  the  rank  of  grandson  of  France.  Some- 
times in  derangement  of  this  order,  in  the  midst  of  the  ball, 
Mme.  la  Duchesse  and  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Conti  ap- 
proached, under  pretext  of  speaking  with  some  one  at  the 

352 


Mechanism  of  the  Court  Life 


side,  and  took  the  last  places.  Titled  ladies,  and  then  the 
others,  without  being  mixed,  occupied  the  long  sides  of  the 
quadrilateral,  and  on  the  side  opposite  to  the  king  were  those 
who  danced,  princes  of  the  blood  and  others.  The  princes 
who  did  not  dance  stood  with  the  courtiers  behind  the  ladies." 
Thus  we  see  that  at  a  ball  the  relative  value  of  the  component 
parts  was  as  carefully  preserved  as  at  the  lever,  or  at  the 
supper  au  grand  convert,  or  at  the  reception  of  an  ambas- 
sador. If  Mme.  la  Duchesse  moved  from  one  stool  to  an- 
other, it  deranged  the  order. 

This  was  the  true  triumph  of  the  mechanism ;  its  combina- 
tions preserved  their  relative  values,  and  meant  something  at 
every  moment.  Take  the  dukes,  for  example.  When  they 
appear,  this  is  their  order:  the  Due  d'Elboeuf,  the  Due  de 
Montbazon,  the  Due  de  Ventadour,  the  Due  de  Vendome, 
the  Due  de  la  Tremoille,  the  Due  de  Sully,  the  Due  de  Chev- 
reuse,  the  Due  de  Brissac,  the  Due  de  Richelieu,  the  Due  de 
Saint-Simon,  the  Due  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  and  so  on.  They 
stand  in  two  lines,  and  for  convenience  we  may  number  them 
from  one  to  twenty,  and  from  twenty-one  to  forty.  They 
form  a  brilliant  picture  and  a  perfect  combination.  But  let 
number  five  step  behind  number  eight,  let  number  twelve 
change  places  with  number  fourteen,  let  number  thirty  pass  in 
front  of  number  twenty-seven,  and  though  the  men  remain 
the  same,  and  the  picture  equally  brilliant,  the  combination 
no  longer  means  anything;  they  are,  as  Saint-Simon  so  fre- 
quently puts  it,  "  in  confusion  as  to  rank  and  precedence, 
without  example,"  confusion  fit  to  astound  a  king  and  horrify 
a  grand  master  of  ceremonies. 

Thus  at  Versailles  the  watchwords  were  order,  harmony, 
and  the  preservation  of  relative  values,  and  these  were 
achieved  by  the  most  marvelous  mechanism  ever  devised  by 
the  mind  of  man  for  a  like  purpose.  Perfect  as  it  was,  how- 
ever,  it   could   not  display  the   uniform   harmony   of   the 

23 


353 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

heavenly  bodies.  Human  nature  cannot  always  express,  in 
lines  and  in  half-circles,  mysterious  combinations.  At  a  ball 
in  the  grand  gallery,  at  the  marriage  of  the  Due  de  Bour- 
gogne,  we  find  that  "  there  was  such  a  crowd,  and  such  dis- 
order, that  even  the  king  was  inconvenienced,  and  Monsieur 
was  pushed  and  knocked  about  in  the  crush.  How  other 
people  fared  may  be  imagined.  No  place  was  kept,  strength 
or  chance  decided  everything,  people  squeezed  in  where  they 
could.  This  spoiled  all  the  fete."  On  that  occasion,  and  on 
others,  despite  mechanism  and  masters  of  ceremonies,  the 
eternal  savage  in  man  came  to  the  front,  even  in  the  palace 
and  presence  of  the  Sun  King. 


354 


XI 
MANNERS  AND   MORALS   OF   THE   COURTIERS 

FOR  the  court  the  Grand  Monarch  himself  set  the 
standard  of  manners.  He  might  express  his  dis- 
pleasure by  a  glance  that  terrified,  by  a  silence  that 
froze,  by  a  lettre-de-cachct  that  sent  an  offender  to 
the  Bastille,  but  he  never  failed  in  courtesy.  "  Never  was 
man  so  naturally  polite,  or  of  a  politeness  so  measured,  so 
graduated,  so  adapted  to  person,  time,  and  place."  It  might 
be  possible  to  question  his  ability  as  a  warrior,  his  wisdom  as 
a  statesman,  even  his  duty  as  a  king,  but  there  could  never 
be  the  slightest  question  as  to  his  being  the  first  gentleman  of 
his  realm.  He  was  the  type,  and  whenever  a  courtier  failed 
in  dignity,  in  tact,  in  grace,  in  courtesy,  he  fell  short  of  the 
model  that  moved  before  his  eyes.  It  was,  however,  almost 
impossible  for  the  courtiers  to  display  in  their  words  and 
actions  the  naturalness  that  accompanied  the  king.  He  was 
above  all  and  supreme.  He  rose  or  sat,  he  smiled  or  bowed, 
he  spoke  or  was  silent,  at  his  pleasure.  There  was  never  any 
doubt  in  his  mind  as  to  his  attitude;  there  were  constant 
difficulties  in  their  minds  as  to  their  attitudes.  His  rank  was 
unquestioned;  their  ranks  clashed  constantly.  He  was  se- 
rene; they  were  anxious.  On  the  other  hand,  they  felt  no 
sense  of  responsibility  for  public  affairs;  he  had  to  bear  the 
burden  of  the  faults  of  his  lieutenants.  They  could  retire 
and  relax ;  he  was  always  on  the  stage. 

His  courtesy  never  contradicted  itself.     When  the  mar- 

355 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

riage  of  the  Due  de  Chartres  and  Mile,  de  Blois  was  an- 
nounced, Madame,  full  of  fury  that  her  son  was  to  wed  the 
monarch's  illegitimate  daughter,  forgot  herself  at  supper. 
"  I  remarked,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  that  the  king  offered 
Madame  nearly  all  the  dishes  that  were  before  him,  and  that 
she  refused  with  an  air  of  rudeness  which  did  not,  however, 
check  his  politeness.  It  was  furthermore  noticeable  that, 
after  leaving  the  table,  he  made  to  Madame  a  very  marked 
and  very  low  reverence,  during  which  she  performed  so  com- 
plete a  pirouette  that  the  king,  on  raising  his  head,  found 
nothing  but  her  back  before  him,  removed  about  a  step 
further  toward  the  door."  The  second  example  is  given  by 
the  Palatine :  "  Christian  Louis  of  Mecklenbourg  was  a 
notable  fool.  One  day  he  demanded  an  audience  of  the  king, 
under  pretense  of  having  something  of  importance  to  say  to 
him.  Louis  XIV  was  then  more  than  forty  years  old.  When 
the  duke  found  himself  in  the  king's  presence,  he  said  to  him, 
*  Sire,  you  seem  to  me  to  have  grown.'  The  king  smiled,  and 
said,  '  Monsieur,  I  am  past  the  age  of  growing.'  '  Sire,'  re- 
joined the  duke,  '  do  you  know  people  say  I  am  very  much 
like  you,  and  quite  as  good-looking  as  you  are?'  'That  is 
is  very  probable,'  said  the  king,  laughing.  The  audience 
being  finished,  the  duke  went  away."  Saint-Simon  fur- 
nishes the  third.  The  Due  de  Beauvilliers  was  very  pious. 
"  At  the  army  one  day,  during  a  promenade  of  the  king,  M. 
de  Beauvilliers  walked  alone,  a  little  in  front.  Some  one  re- 
marked it,  and  observed,  sneeringly,  that  he  was  '  meditating.' 
The  king,  who  heard  this,  turned  toward  the  speaker,  and 
said,  '  Yes,  it  is  M.  de  Beauvilliers,  one  of  the  best  men  of  the 
court  and  of  my  realm.'  This  sudden  and  short  apology 
caused  silence,  and  food  for  reflection."  And  as  in  these 
three  cases,  in  dealing  with  an  angry  woman,  a  fool,  and  a 
faultfinder,  the  Grand  Monarch  displayed  a  uniform  courtesy, 
so  with  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  whatever  faults 

356 


Manners  and  Morals  of  the  Courtiers 

he  had,  whatever  mistakes  he  committed,  he  was  ever  king 
and  gentleman. 

By  Louis  XIV  the  booted  roisterers  and  swash-bucklers  of 
RicheHeu's  time  were  polished.  Against  swearing  and  duel- 
ing the  king  threw  the  weight  of  his  authority,  and  though 
he  could  eradicate  neither,  he  held  them  within  bounds.  At 
the  court  of  St.  Germain  manners  acquired  unequaled  majesty 
and  elegance ;  they  became  superior  to  morals ;  they  were  all 
in  all.  The  king  gave  rise  to  scandal  on  account  of  his 
mistresses.  He  went  through  Flanders  with  his  wife,  Marie 
Therese,  the  Duchesse  de  la  Valliere,  and  Madame  de  Montes- 
pan,  all  in  the  same  coach ;  and  the  peasants  crowded  to  see 
the  "  three  queens,"  asking  one  another  in  their  simplicity  if 
they  had  seen  them.  Louis  rode  at  the  coach  door,  giving  to 
all  the  world  the  spectacle  of  a  double  adultery,  as  though  he 
had  been  the  Grand  Turk  himself.  But  with  the  establish- 
ment of  the  court  in  residence  at  Versailles,  the  days  of 
scandal  and  of  mistresses  were  done,  as  far  as  the  monarch 
was  concerned.  There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  sincerity  of 
his  purpose  to  make  good  his  title  of  Most  Christian  King. 
With  him  morals  rose  to  the  level  of  manners ;  with  Madame 
de  Maintenon  morals  were  ostensibly  all  in  all. 

At  Versailles  etiquette  and  environment  made  manners  the 
chief  of  the  fine  arts.  "  There  was  not  a  toilet  there,"  says 
Taine,  "  an  air  of  the  head,  a  tone  of  the  voice,  an  expression 
in  language,  which  was  not  a  masterpiece  of  worldly  culture, 
the  distilled  quintessence  of  all  that  is  exquisitely  elaborated 
by  social  art.  Polished  as  the  society  of  Paris  might  be,  it 
did  not  approach  that;  compared  with  the  court,  it  seemed 
provincial.  It  is  said  that  a  hundred  thousand  roses  are  re- 
quired to  make  an  ounce  of  the  unique  perfume  used  by  the 
Persian  kings;  such  was  that  drawing-room,  the  frail  vial 
of  crystal  and  gold  containing  the  substance  of  a  human  vege- 
tation.    To  fill  it,  a  great  aristocracy  had  to  be  transplanted 

357 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

to  a  hothouse  and  become  sterile  in  fruit  and  flowers;  and 
then,  in  the  royal  alembic,  its  pure  sap  is  concentrated  into  a 
few  drops  of  aroma.  The  price  is  excessive,  but  only  at  this 
price  can  the  most  delicate  perfumes  be  manufactured."  ^  The 
simile  is  beautiful,  but  not  without  exaggeration.  There  was 
more  than  one  courtier  whose  manners  were  not  a  "  master- 
piece of  worldly  culture."  There  were  some  whose  polite- 
ness was  ludicrous,  like  the  Due  de  Coislin ;  there  were  others 
whose  vulgarity  was  disgusting,  like  the  Princesse  d'Har- 
court ;  but  they  were  in  the  minority,  and  were  exceptions  to 
the  rule. 

"  The  Due  de  Coislin  was  a  very  little  man  of  much  humor 
and  virtue,  but  of  a  politeness  that  was  unendurable  and  that 
passed  all  bounds.  He  had  been  lieutenant-general  in  the 
army.  Upon  one  occasion,  after  a  battle  in  which  he  had 
taken  part,  one  of  the  Rhingraves,  who  had  been  made  pris- 
oner, fell  to  his  lot.  The  Due  de  Coislin  wished  to  give  up 
to  the  other  his  bed,  which  consisted,  indeed,  of  but  a  mattress. 
They  complimented  each  other  so  much,  the  one  pressing,  the 
other  refusing,  that  in  the  end  they  both  slept  upon  the 
ground,  leaving  the  mattress  between  them.  The  Rhingrave 
in  due  time  came  to  Paris  and  called  on  the  Due  de  Coislin. 
When  he  was  going,  there  was  such  a  profusion  of  compli- 
ments, and  the  duke  insisted  so  much  on  seeing  him  out,  that 
the  Rhingrave,  as  a  last  resource,  ran  out  of  the  room,  and 
locked  the  door  outside.  M.  de  Coislin  was  not  thus  to  be 
outdone.  His  apartments  were  only  a  few  feet  above  the 
ground.  He  opened  the  window  accordingly,  leaped  out 
into  the  court,  and  arrived  thus  at  the  entrance-door  before 
the  Rhingrave,  who  thought  the  devil  must  have  carried  him 
there."  ^ 

The  Princesse  d'Harcourt  was  a  person  of  another  sort: 
"  a  tall  fat  creature,  mightily  brisk  in  her  movements,  with  a 
*  Taine.  The  Ancient  Regime,  p.  103.  '  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  248. 


Manners  and  Morals  of  the  Courtiers 

complexion  like  milk-porridge,  great  ugly  thick  lips,  and  hair 
like  tow,  always  sticking  out  and  hanging  down  in  disorder, 
like  all  the  rest  of  her  fittings-out."  Her  manners  were  in 
accord  with  her  appearance.  "  She  was  a  blonde  Fury,  nay 
more,  a  harpy ;  she  had  all  the  effrontery  of  one,  all  the  deceit 
and  violence,  all  the  avarice  and  audacity,  moreover,  all  the 
gluttony,  and  all  the  promptitude  to  relieve  herself  from  the 
effects  thereof;  so  that  she  drove  out  of  their  wits  those  at 
whose  houses  she  dined."  ^ 

However,  it  is  not  with  the  exceptions,  but  with  the  ma- 
jority, that  one  should  deal.  The  great  lady  who  "  received 
ten  persons  with  one  curtsy,  bestowing  on  each,  by  her  head 
or  by  her  glance,  all  that  his  rank  entitled  him  to,"  ^  appeared 
daily  at  Versailles.  The  man  who  regulated  his  salutations 
with  marvelous  tact  and  dexterity  —  "  one  for  women  of 
quality,  one  for  women  of  the  court,  one  for  titled  women, 
one  for  women  of  high  birth  married  to  men  beneath  them  " 
—  was  also  in  evidence.  At  her  public  toilet  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne  rose  a  few  inches  in  her  chair  for  the  princes 
of  the  blood  and  for  the  dukes  and  duchesses ;  for  others  she 
inclined  her  head  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  according  to 
their  rank,  but  no  one  was  forgotten.  At  the  conclusion  of 
an  audience  with  a  duke.  His  Majesty  retired  with  a  "half 
bow,  very  smiling  and  very  gracious,"  and  the  nobleman, 
with  a  "  profound  bow,"  withdrew  the  way  he  came.  Every 
morning  at  seven  o'clock  the  Due  de  Fronsac  stationed  him- 
self, by  his  father's  command,  "  at  the  foot  of  a  stairway 
leading  to  the  chapel,  simply  to  bow  to  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  when  she  went  to  St.  Cyr."  To  sit  with  grace  upon  a 
stool,  to  open  a  door,  to  take  a  fan,  to  escort  a  lady,  holding 
her  hand  by  the  tips  of  the  fingers,  to  leave  an  apartment,  to 
descend  a  staircase,  to  enter  a  carriage,  to  make  the  three 
reverences  in  approaching  royalty — for  doing  all  these  things, 
'  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  133.  '  De  Tilly,  I,  p.  24. 

359 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

and  a  hundred  others,  there  were  certain  ways,  in  which  the 
courtier  alone  excelled,  in  which  the  Parisian  found  himself 
at  fault,  in  which  the  provincial  failed  completely. 

But  if  the  life  at  Versailles  promoted  manners,  it  was  not 
propitious  to  morals.  The  concentration  of  the  nobility, 
their  wealth,  their  idleness,  the  fact  that  they  were  debarred 
from  nearly  all  pursuits  save  that  of  pleasure,  all  these  things 
were  against  morals.  A  man  of  rank  had  his  own  household, 
his  apartments,  his  equipages,  and  his  society;  his  wife, 
though  under  the  same  roof,  had  her  separate  establishment. 
She  had  her  post  at  court,  her  friends,  her  proteges,  and  her 
solicitors,  and  he  had  his ;  fashion  regulated  all  that.  But  a 
man,  if  he  chose,  could  spend  much  time  in  the  company  of 
his  wife,  and  there  were  many  notable  examples  —  among 
others,  the  king  and  Madame  de  Maintenon,  the  Due  and 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Beauvil- 
liers,  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Saint-Simon;  on  the  other 
hand,  he  had  every  inducement  to  spend  as  little  as  possible. 
"  I  conducted  myself,"  says  the  Due  de  Lauzun,  "  very  pru- 
dently and  even  deferentially  with  Madame  de  Lauzun;  I 
had  Madame  de  Cambis  very  openly,  for  whom  I  concerned 
myself  very  little;  I  kept  the  little  Eugenie,  whom  I  loved  a 
great  deal."  What  was  true  of  M.  de  Lauzun  was  true  of 
the  majority,  especially  the  generation  of  the  Due  d'Orleans. 
M.  de  Lauzun  wrote  of  his  life  at  a  little  later  period;  at  the 
time  in  question,  however,  everything  would  have  been  the 
same,  except  in  one  particular :  he  would  still  have  had  his 
Madame  de  Cambis,  but  not  "very  openly."  At  Versailles 
the  king  kept  vice  below  the  surface.  "  An  extreme  curios- 
ity, or  a  great  familiarity  with  things,  was  necessary  to  de- 
tect the  slightest  intimacy  between  the  two  sexes." 

Louis  could  coerce  his  courtiers,  but  he  could  not  correct 
them,  though  at  times  he  spoke  in  no  uncertain  tones.  **  The 
year  finished  (1695)  with  the  disgrace  of  Madame  de  Saint- 

360 


jMademoiselle  de  Chartres 

Princesse  de  Conti 


Manners  and  Morals  of  the  Courtiers 

Geran.  She  was  on  the  best  of  terms  with  the  princesses, 
and  as  much  a  lover  of  good  cheer  as  Madame  de  Chartres 
and  Mme.  la  Duchesse.  The  latter  had  in  the  park  of 
Versailles  a  little  house  that  she  called  the  *  Desert.'  There 
she  received  very  doubtful  company,  giving  such  gay  repasts 
that  the  king,  informed  of  her  doings,  was  angry,  and  for- 
bade her  to  continue  these  parties  or  to  receive  certain  guests. 
Madame  de  Saint-Geran  was  then  in  the  first  year  of  her 
mourning,  so  that  the  king  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  in- 
clude her  among  the  interdicted,  but  he  intimated  that  he  did 
not  approve  of  her.  In  spite  of  this,  Mme.  la  Duchesse,  hav- 
ing invited  her  to  an  early  supper  at  the  '  Desert '  a  short 
time  after,  prolonged  the  meal  so  far  into  the  night  and  with 
so  much  gaiety  that  it  came  to  the  ears  of  the  king.  He  was 
in  great  anger,  and  learning  that  Madame  de  Saint-Geran 
had  been  of  the  party,  sentenced  her  to  be  banished  twenty 
leagues  from  court.  Like  a  clever  woman,  she  retired  into  a 
convent  at  Rouen,  saying  that,  as  she  had  been  unfortunate 
enough  to  displease  the  king,  a  convent  was  the  only  place  for 
her;  and  this  was  much  approved."  ^ 

Since  they  dared  not  do  otherwise,  the  courtiers  were 
punctual  in  their  attendance  in  the  chapel  of  Versailles. 
Hypocrisy  reigned.  "  They  have  their  God  and  their  king," 
says  La  Bruyere,  "  and  each  day  at  a  certain  hour  the  lords  of 
the  nation  assemble  in  a  temple  which  they  call  their  church. 
At  the  end  is  an  altar  consecrated  to  their  God,  where  the 
priests  celebrate  the  holy  mysteries.  The  lords  form  a  vast 
circle  at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  with  their  backs  toward  the 
priests,  and  their  faces  turned  toward  their  king,  whom  they 
see  on  his  knees  in  a  tribune.  There  is  in  this  a  kind  of  sub- 
ordination; because  the  people  appear  to  adore  the  prince, 
and  the  prince  to  adore  God." 

In  that  sumptuous  chapel  of  Versailles,  the  Abbe  Boileau 

*  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  95. 
361 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

preached  upon  humility  (1694),  and  the  Mercure  tells  us 
that  his  sermon  received  "  much  praise."  Pere  Soanen  thun- 
dered against  vice  (1695),  so  much  so  that  all  pronounced  it 
"  a  trumpet-blast  from  heaven."  Bourdaloue  denounced 
gambling  (1697),  and  received  "grands  applaiidtssements." 
Massillon  rebuked  pride  (1704),  and  they  agreed  that  it  was 
"  le  plus  bean  sermon  du  monde."     Sermons  could  not  save. 

"  A  few  years  before  his  retirement,  Brissac,  Major  of  the 
Body-Guards,  served  the  court  ladies  a  nice  turn.  All  through 
the  winter  they  attended  evening  prayers  on  Thursdays  and 
Sundays,  because  the  king  went  there ;  and  under  pretense  of 
reading  their  prayer-books,  had  little  tapers  before  them, 
which  cast  a  light  on  their  faces,  and  enabled  the  king  to 
recognize  them  as  he  passed.  On  the  evenings  when  they 
knew  he  would  not  go,  scarcely  one  of  them  went.  One 
evening  when  the  king  was  expected,  all  the  ladies  had  ar- 
rived and  were  in  their  places,  and  the  guards  were  at  the 
doors.  Suddenly  Brissac  appeared  in  the  king's  place,  lifted 
his  baton,  and  cried  aloud,  '  Guards  of  the  king,  withdraw, 
return  to  your  quarters ;  the  king  is  not  coming  this  evening.' 
The  guards  withdrew,  but  after  they  had  proceeded  a  short 
distance,  they  were  stopped  by  brigadiers  posted  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  told  to  return  in  a  few  minutes.  What  Brissac  had 
said  was  a  joke.  The  ladies  at  once  began  to  murmur  to  one 
another;  and  in  a  moment  or  two  all  the  candles  were  put 
out,  and  the  ladies,  with  but  few  exceptions,  left  the  chapel. 
Soon  after  the  king  arrived,  and,  much  astonished  to  see  so 
few  ladies  present,  asked  how  it  was  that  nobody  was  there. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  prayers  Brissac  related  what  he  had 
done,  not  without  dwelling  on  the  piety  of  the  court  ladies. 
The  king  and  all  who  accompanied  him  laughed  heartily. 
The  story  soon  spread,  and  these  ladies  would  have  strangled 
Brissac,  if  they  had  been  able."  ^ 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  14. 
362 


Manners  and  Morals  of  the  Courtiers 

That  is  a  delightful  anecdote,  and  nothing  could  express 
better  the  piety  practised  at  Versailles.  As  for  the  men,  the 
attitude  of  the  younger  generation  was  much  the  same  as  that 
of  the  Due  d'Orleans.  "  One  Christmas-time  at  Versailles, 
when  the  Due  d'Orleans  accompanied  the  king  to  morning 
prayers  and  to  the  three  midnight  masses,  he  surprised  the 
court  by  his  continual  application  in  reading  a  volume  he  had 
brought  with  him,  and  which  appeared  to  be  a  prayer-book. 
The  chief  fcuiine  de  chamhre  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  d'Orleans, 
much  attached  to  the  family,  and  very  free  as  all  good  old 
domestics  are,  transfixed  with  joy  at  M.  le  Due  d'Orleans's  ap- 
plication to  his  book,  complimented  him  upon  it  the  next  day 
in  the  presence  of  others.  He  allowed  her  to  go  on  for  some 
time,  and  then  said,  '  You  are  very  silly,  Madame  Imbert. 
Do  you  know  what  I  was  reading?  It  was  Rabelais,  that  I 
brought  with  me  for  fear  of  being  bored.'  "  ^ 

Thus  at  the  king's  command  the  courtiers  marched  to  mass, 
and  while  undoubtedly  there  was  some  genuine  piety,  there 
was  a  vast  amount  of  hypocrisy.  Louis  himself  was  in 
earnest,  and  to  appreciate  what  his  coercion  held  in  check 
it  is  necessary  to  view  the  license  and  debauchery  that  broke 
out  after  his  death,  when  the  man  who  read  Rabelais  in  chapel 
became  Regent  of  France. 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  23^. 


363 


T 


XII 

PLEASURES  OF  THE  COURTIERS 

HE  ordinary  pleasures  and  diversions  of  the  court 
were  the  appartement,  play  (gambling),  comedy, 
concerts,  balls,  collations,  promenades,  and  the 
chase, 

APPARTEMENT 


"  An  appartement,  as  it  was  called,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  was 
an  assemblage  of  all  the  court  in  the  grand  salon  from  seven 
o'clock  in  the  evening  until  ten,  when  the  king  sat  down  to 
supper,  and  after  ten  in  one  of  the  salons  at  the  end  of  the 
grand  gallery,  toward  the  tribune  of  the  chapel.  In  the  first 
place  there  was  some  music;  then  tables  were  placed  all 
about  for  all  kinds  of  gambling;  there  was  a  lansquenet,  at 
which  Monsieur  and  Monseigneur  always  played;  also  a 
billiard-table ;  in  a  word,  every  one  was  free  to  play  with  any 
one  else,  and  allowed  to  ask  for  fresh  tables  if  all  the  others 
were  occupied.  Beyond  the  billiards  was  a  refreshment- 
room.  All  was  perfectly  lighted.  At  the  outset,  the  king 
went  to  the  appartements  very  often  and  played,  but  lately 
he  had  ceased  to  do  so.  He  spent  the  evening  with  Madame 
de  Maintenon,  working  with  different  ministers  one  after 
another;  but  still  he  wished  his  courtiers  to  attend  assidu- 
ously." 

The  Mercure  describes  an  appartement  with  more  detail : 
**  The  king  opens  his  state  apartments  at  Versailles  on  Mon- 

364 


Pleasures  of  the  Courtiers 


day,  Wednesday,  and  Thursday  of  each  week  (1682),  for  all 
sorts  of  games,  from  six  in  the  evening  until  ten,  and  these 
days  are  named  jours  d'appartement.  At  the  hour  named, 
each  one  presents  himself  to  be  received  in  these  superb  sa- 
lons; but  no  one  presents  himself  to  whom  the  entree  has  not 
been  given.  Some  choose  one  game,  others  another.  Some 
prefer  to  watch  the  players,  and  others  to  promenade  to  ad- 
mire  the  assembly  and  the  grand  apartments.  Although 
they  are  filled  with  the  crowd,  there  are  present  only  people 
of  rank.  Every  one  is  at  liberty  to  speak  to  every  one  else, 
but,  out  of  respect  for  the  king,  no  one  talks  too  loud,  so  that 
the  noise  of  the  conversation  is  not  disagreeable.  The  king, 
the  queen,  and  all  the  royal  family  descend  from  their  great- 
ness to  play  with  many  people  in  the  assembly  who  have 
never  had  that  honor.  The  king  goes  from  one  table  to  an- 
other, and  wishes  no  one  to  rise  or  to  stop  playing  at  his  ap- 
proach. When  he  leaves  a  game,  some  one  else  takes  his 
place.  People  pass  into  the  salon,  where  there  are  liqueurs 
and  a  collation.  The  lackeys  who  serve  wear  blue  coats  with 
silver  lace.  They  stand  behind  all  the  gaming-tables  to  hand 
the  players  the  cards,  or  the  counters,  or  anything  else  they 
may  wish.  In  some  games,  as  at  troii-madame,  they  save  the 
players  the  trouble  of  keeping  score ;  they  calculate  the  points, 
and  write  them  down.  There  is  music,  also,  for  those  who 
wish  to  dance."  ^ 

This  account,  written  in  1682,  speaks  of  the  appartements 
being  held  on  Monday,  Wednesday,  and  Thursday ;  at  a  later 
period  they  were  held  on  other  evenings,  as  stated  in  a  pre- 
ceding chapter.  After  1691  the  king  no  longer  went  to  the 
appartement,  but  he  wished  all  the  courtiers  to  be  present, 
and  in  December,  1693,  he  was  much  displeased  to  hear  that 
there  were  fewer  ladies  than  usual  at  the  appartement,  es- 
pecially since  Monseigneur  held  court  there  in  his  place. 
*  Le  Mercure  Galant,  1682. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

After  1697,  on  the  evenings  when  Monseigneur  was  at  Meu- 
don,  there  was  neither  appartement  nor  comedy  at  Versailles. 

PLAY 

Gambling  was  the  chief  pleasure  of  the  court.  The  prin- 
cipal games  of  cards  were  bassette,  r  ever  si  (1686),  hoca, 
hrelmi,  lansquenet  (1689),  and  papillon.  They  played  also 
tourniquet,  portique,  la  hete,  trente  et  quarante,  cadran  de 
I'anneau-tournant  (a  game  invented  by  Louis  XIV  in  1689), 
billiards,  chess,  and  backgammon.  In  trou-niadame  and 
portique,  little  ivory  balls  were  rolled  through  arches  marked 
with  certain  numbers,  or  through  arches  into  squares  con- 
taining numbers,  the  value  of  which  decided  the  gain  or  loss. 
Some  of  these  games  were  in  fashion  only  for  a  short  period ; 
those  which  held  their  own  year  after  year,  and  at  which  im- 
mense sums  were  lost  and  won,  were  reversi,  brelan,  and 
lansquenet. 

"  On  Saturday  I  was  at  Versailles  with  Villars,"  wrote 
Madame  de  Sevigne  in  1676.  "  At  three  o'clock,  the  king, 
the  queen,  Monsieur,  Madame,  Mademoiselle,  Madame  de 
Montespan,  all  their  suite,  all  the  courtiers,  in  short  all  the 
court  of  France,  assembled  in  that  beautiful  apartment  ^ 
which  you  know.  All  is  divinely  furnished;  all  is  magnifi- 
cent. No  one  is  too  warm  there,^  and  we  pass  from  one  part 
to  another  without  crowding.  A  game  of  reversi  gives 
form  to  the  assembly  and  fixes  all.  The  king  was  near 
Madame  de  Montespan,  who  held  the  card,  with  the  queen, 
Monsieur,  and  Madame  de  Soubise.  Dangeau  and  company, 
Langlee^  and  company,  are  there,  and  a  thousand  louis  are 
on  the  table.  They  have  no  other  counters.  I  watched 
Dangeau  play,  and  marveled,  thinking  what  fools  we  are  at 
play  in  comparison  with  him.     Nothing  distracts  him,  he 

^  The  salon  of  Mars.  '  It  was  the  end  of  July. 

'  Dangeau  and  Langlee  were  famous  players. 

366 


Pleasures  of  the  Courtiers 


neglects  nothing,  he  profits  by  everything,  and  he  gains  where 
others  lose.  Thus  100,000  francs  in  ten  days,  100,000 
crowns  in  a  month,  all  are  entered  in  his  account-book.  He 
asked  me  to  take  part  in  his  game,  so  that  I  was  seated  very 
conveniently  and  agreeably.  I  saluted  the  king,  and  he  re- 
turned my  salutation  as  though  I  had  been  young  and  pretty. 
The  queen  spoke  to  me  for  some  time  of  my  illness.  Madame 
de  Montespan  talked  to  me  of  Bourbon.^  Her  beauty  is  a 
surprising  thing.  .  .  .  This  agreeable  confusion,  without 
confusion,  of  all  that  is  most  select  lasted  from  three  until 
six.  If  couriers  arrived,  the  king  retired  a  moment  to  read 
his  letters,  and  then  returned.  There  was  always  music, 
which  made  a  very  good  effect.  The  king  talked  with  the 
ladies  who  are  accustomed  to  have  that  honor.  Finally,  they 
stopped  play  at  six  o'clock." 

Philippe  de  Courcillon,  Marquis  de  Dangeau,  was  the  most 
successful  gambler  at  court;  there  was  no  game  he  had  not 
mastered.  "  He  owed  his  success,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  to 
his  good  looks,  to  the  court  he  paid  to  the  king's  mistresses, 
and  to  a  lucky  stroke  of  fortune.  The  king  had  oftentimes 
been  importuned  to  give  him  a  lodging  in  the  chateau,  and 
one  day,  joking  with  him  upon  his  fancy  for  versifying,  pro- 
posed to  him  some  very  hard  rimes,  and  promised  him  a 
lodging  if  he  filled  them  up  upon  the  spot.  Dangeau  accepted, 
thought  but  for  a  moment,  performed  the  task,  and  thus 
gained  his  lodging."  In  face  and  figure  Dangeau  strongly 
resembled  the  king;  and  sometimes  at  masquerades,  if  the 
king  went  incognito,  Dangeau  impersonated  the  monarch  by 
the  king's  request.  His  Memoirs  show  that  he  was  some- 
thing besides  a  card-player.  His  wife  was  a  close  friend  of 
Madame  de  Maintenon.  He  held  his  own  through  every 
change  of  fortune.     He  was  born  under  a  lucky  star. 

"The  king,"  says  Dangeau,  under  date  of  November  10, 

*  A  fashionable  watering-place. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

1686,  "being  at  Fontainebleau,  ordered  a  grand  game  of 
reversi  for  the  jours  d'appartement  at  Versailles.  The  king 
will  hold  one;  Monseigneur  and  Monsieur  will  each  hold 
another;  and  His  Majesty  named  Langlee  and  myself  to  hold 
the  other  two.  The  stakes  are  high."  The  Marquis  de 
Sourches  speaks  of  the  same  game.  "It  was  then  (1686) 
that  His  Majesty  decided  to  begin  the  appartements  as  soon 
as  the  court  returned  to  Versailles,  and  to  hold  there  a  grand 
game  of  reversi,  for  which  each  player  required  a  fund  of 
5000  pistoles.^  The  players  are  the  king,  Monseigneur,  Mon- 
sieur, the  Marquis  de  Dangeau,  and  Langlee,  Marechal  des 
Logis.  But  as  the  advances  were  considerable,  the  players 
associated  with  them  many  other  persons  of  the  court."  In 
1687  the  grand  game  of  reversi  recommenced,  the  five  players 
being  those  of  the  preceding  year.  "  Reversi  was  the  only 
game  at  which  the  king  played,"  says  the  Palatine,  "  and 
which  he  liked." 

To  reversi  succeeded  brelan.  "  The  grand  game  of  hrelan 
is  finished,"  writes  Dangeau,  under  date  of  March,  1696. 
"  MM.  de  Vendome  have  gained  more  than  100,000  livres." 
At  times  the  losses  were  enormous.  Dangeau  speaks  of  a  loss 
of  10,000  pistoles,  which  would  be  500,000  francs  to-day. 
Lansquenet  became  fashionable  about  the  same  time,  and  kept 
its  popularity  for  many  years.  "  Here  in  France,"  says  the 
Palatine,  in  1695,  "  ^^  soon  as  people  assemble,  they  play 
lansquenet.  That  game  is  now  the  rage.  They  play  for 
frightful  sums,  and  the  players  are  like  madmen ;  they  shout, 
they  strike  the  table  with  their  fists,  they  swear  in  a  fashion 
to  make  one's  hair  stand  on  end."  They  undoubtedly  did  so 
at  St.  Cloud  and  Meudon,  where  they  had  a  free  rein,  but  not 
at  Versailles  or  Marly.  The  Palatine  herself  bears  witness 
to  that :  "  It  was  formerly  the  custom  to  swear  horridly  on  all 
occasions ;  the  king  detested  this  practice  and  soon  abolished 

^  250,000  francs  to-day. 
368 


Marie  de  Rabutin-Chantal,  Marquise  de  Sevigue 


Pleasures  of  the  Courtiers 


it."  He  could  not  stamp  it  out  entirely  any  more  than  he 
could  dueling,  but  he  abolished  both  as  far  as  he  could.  In 
the  king's  houses,  people  did  not  dare  to  shout,  and  swear,  and 
pound  tables;  but  at  Meudon  and  St.  Cloud  more  than  one 
fracas  occurred.  Saint-Simon  mentions  one  at  Meudon  in 
August,  1698:  *'  The  Prince  de  Conti  and  the  Grand  Prieur 
were  playing  hombre,  and  a  dispute  arose  respecting  the 
game.  The  Grand  Prieur,  inflated  by  pride  on  account  of  the 
favors  the  king  had  showered  upon  him,  and  rendered  au- 
dacious by  being  placed  almost  on  a  level  with  the  princes  of 
the  blood,  used  words  which  would  have  been  too  strong 
even  toward  an  equal.  The  Prince  de  Conti  answered  by  a 
repartee  in  which  the  other's  honesty  at  play  and  courage  in 
war,  both,  in  truth,  little  to  boast  about,  were  attacked. 
Upon  this  the  Grand  Prieur  flew  into  a  passion,  flung  away 
the  cards,  and  demanded  satisfaction,  sword  in  hand.  The 
Prince  de  Conti,  with  a  smile  of  contempt,  reminded  him  that 
he  was  wanting  in  respect,  and  at  the  same  time  said  he  could 
have  the  satisfaction  he  asked  for  whenever  he  pleased.  The 
arrival  of  Monseigneur  in  his  dressing-gown  put  an  end  to  the 
fray.  He  ordered  the  Marquis  de  Gesvres,  who  was  one  of 
the  courtiers  present,  to  report  the  whole  affair  to  the  king, 
and  that  every  one  should  go  to  bed.  On  the  morrow  the 
king  was  informed  of  what  had  taken  place,  and  immediately 
ordered  the  Grand  Prieur  to  go  to  the  Bastille.  He  was 
obliged  to  obey,  and  remained  in  confinement  several  days. 
The  affair  made  a  great  stir  at  court." 

High  play  eventually  ruined  the  nobility.  Even  moderate 
persons  like  the  queen  got  into  debt.  When  she  died  in  1683, 
she  owed  100,000  crowns,  which  she  had  lost  at  bassette. 
The  king  paid  them  in  April,  1684.  Money  was  more  plenti- 
ful then.  Even  in  1700  the  king  told  the  Due  de  Bourgogne 
to  play  freely,  since  money  would  not  fail  him.  In  1702  the 
young  prince  lost  large  sums,  which  the  king  paid  at  once; 

^  369 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

but  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  thereafter  diminished  his  play. 
"  The  king,  who  had  just  paid  ( 1700)  the  heavy  gaming  and 
tradesmen's  debts  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse,"  says  Saint-Simon, 
"  paid  also  those  of  Monseigneur,  which  amounted  to  50,000 
francs."  The  debts  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  on  that  occasion 
amounted  to  12,000  pistoles,  about  600,000  francs  to-day; 
but  in  paying  them  the  king  made  her  promise  to  make  no 
more  debts.  At  Marly,  even  more  than  at  Versailles,  high 
play  was  the  rule.  In  the  bad  years  of  the  War  of  the  Span- 
ish Succession,  though  neither  king  nor  court  knew  where  to 
turn  to  get  money,  gambling  still  went  on  as  best  it  could. 
At  the  marriage  of  the  Due  de  Berry  in  July,  17 10,  Saint- 
Simon  relates  that  "  the  king,  who  had  given  a  very  mediocre 
present  of  diamonds  to  the  new  Duchesse  de  Berry,  gave 
nothing  to  the  Due  de  Berry.  The  latter  had  so  little  money 
that  he  could  not  play  during  the  first  days  of  the  voyage  to 
Marly.  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  told  this  to  the  king, 
who,  feeling  the  state  in  which  he  himself  was,  said  that  he 
had  only  500  pistoles  (25,000  francs)  to  give  the  Due  de 
Berry.  He  gave  them  with  an  excuse  on  the  distress  of  the 
time,  because  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  thought  with  rea- 
son that  a  little  was  better  than  nothing,  and  that  it  was  insuf- 
ferable not  to  be  able  to  play."  High  play  ruined  the  nobility. 
Yet,  in  the  chapel  of  Versailles,  Bourdaloue  thundered  forth 
these  words :  "  Gambling  without  measure  is  for  you  not  a 
diversion,  but  an  occupation,  a  profession,  a  traffic,  a  passion, 
a  rage,  a  fury.  It  causes  you  to  forget  your  duties,  it  de- 
ranges your  households,  it  dissipates  your  revenues."  They 
listened,  and  they  went  their  way.  Their  environment  was 
such  that  to  be  unable  to  play  continued  to  be  "  insufferable." 

BALLS 

The  dance  was  the  form  of  diversion  in  which  the  ladies  of 
the  court  excelled.     The  majority  of  the  dances  of  the  period 

370 


Pleasures  of  the  Courtiers 


were  stately,  serious,  and  difficult,  A  majestic  and  compli- 
cated dance  like  the  branle  or  the  courante  required  much 
practice;  and  to  perform,  in  a  long  court  train,  a  very  rapid 
dance  like  the  passepied  was  far  from  easy.  Dancing  was 
languishing  at  court,  and  being  superseded  by  lansquenet  and 
brelan,  when  in  1696  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  came  to 
restore  the  dance  to  honor. 

Shortly  before  that  time  a  ridiculous  episode  occurred  at 
the  balls  given  at  the  marriage  of  the  Due  de  Chartres  and 
Mile,  de  Blois,  in  1692.  It  is  interesting  in  connection  with  a 
court  so  dignified  and  so  well  disciplined  as  that  of  Louis 
XIV.  "  A  son  of  Montbron,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  no  more 
made  to  dance  at  court  than  his  father  was  to  be  chevalier 
of  the  Order  of  St.  Esprit  (to  which,  however,  he  was  pro- 
moted in  1688),  was  among  the  company.  He  had  been 
asked  if  he  danced  well;  and  he  replied  with  a  confidence 
which  made  every  one  hope  that  the  contrary  was  the  case. 
Every  one  was  satisfied.  From  the  very  first  bow,  he  be- 
came confused,  and  he  lost  step  at  once.  He  tried  to  divert 
attention  from  his  mistake  by  affected  attitudes  and  carrying 
his  arms  high;  but  this  made  him  only  more  ridiculous,  and 
excited  bursts  of  laughter,  which,  in  spite  of  the  respect  due  to 
the  person  of  the  king  (who  likewise  had  great  difficulty  to 
hinder  himself  from  laughing),  degenerated  at  length  into 
regular  hooting.  On  the  morrow,  instead  of  flying  the  court 
or  holding  his  tongue,  Montbron  excused  himself  by  saying 
that  the  presence  of  the  king  had  disconcerted  him,  and 
promised  marvels  for  the  ball  which  was  to  follow.  He  was 
one  of  my  friends,  and  I  felt  for  him.  I  should  even  have 
warned  him  against  a  second  attempt,  if  the  very  indifferent 
success  I  had  met  with  previously  had  not  made  me  fear  that 
my  advice  would  be  taken  in  ill  part.  As  soon  as  he  began 
to  dance  at  the  second  ball,  those  who  were  near  stood  up, 
those  who  were  far  off  climbed  wherever  they  could  to  get  a 

371 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

sight,  and  shouts  of  laughter  were  mingled  with  clapping  of 
hands.  Every  one,  even  the  king  himself,  laughed  heartily, 
and  most  of  us  quite  loud,  so  that  I  do  not  think  that  any  one 
was  ever  so  treated  before.  Montbron  disappeared  im- 
mediately afterward,  and  did  not  show  himself  again  for  a 
long  time.  It  was  a  pity  he  exposed  himself  to  this  defeat, 
for  he  was  an  honorable  and  brave  man." 

At  the  time  of  the  carnival,  the  number  of  balls  was 
doubled.  The  winter  of  1700  was  very  gay  at  Versailles  and 
at  Marly.  There  were  grand  balls  on  the  21st  and  226.  of 
January,  and  masquerades  on  the  4th,  5th,  and  i8th  of  Feb- 
ruary. The  Mercure  gives  an  account  of  the  masquerade  of 
the  1 8th,  which  was  gotten  up  at  Marly  by  the  Due  de  Char- 
tres :  "  It  represented  the  Grand  Turk  and  his  menagerie. 
He  was  carried  by  slaves  in  a  palanquin,  and  preceded  by  a 
great  number  of  animals  as  natural  as  life.  There  were 
ostriches,  cranes,  apes,  bears,  parrots,  and  butterflies.  In  his 
suite  marched  the  officers  and  slaves  of  the  seraglio,  and  the 
sultanas,  who,  together  with  the  animals,  danced  in  an  entree 
pleasant  and  new.  M.  le  Marquis  d'Antin^  was  the  Grand 
Turk,  and  the  officers  of  the  seraglio  were  Mgr.  le  Due  de 
Bourgogne,  M.  le  Due  de  Chartres,  M.  le  Comte  de  Brionne, 
M.  le  Grand  Prieur,  M.  le  Prince  Camille,  and  some  others. 
The  sultanas  were  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Conti,  and  Mmes. 
d'Epinoy,  de  Villequier,  and  de  Chatillon.  Their  costumes 
were  magnificent.  All  the  animals  were  as  natural  as  life. 
The  apes,  who  were  professional  mountebanks,  were  wonder- 
ful." 2 

A  description  of  the  brilliant  balls  at  the  marriage  of  the 
Due  de  Bourgogne,  and  of  other  masquerades  at  carnival- 
time,  will  be  found  in  the  chapter  on  Fetes. 

^  Legitimate  son  of  Madame  de  Montespan.  '  Mercure,  1700. 


372 


Pleasures  of  the  Courtiers 


THE   COLLATIONS 

The  bosquets  in  the  gardens  of  Versailles  furnished  beauti- 
ful settings  for  the  collations  during  the  promenades  of  the 
court.  Nearly  all  the  bosquets  served  in  turn  for  collations, 
but  those  most  frequently  used  for  that  purpose  were  the 
Salle  de  Bal  and  the  Colonnade.  Dangeau  mentions  several 
of  these  occasions.  "  On  the  7th  of  May,  1685,  on  return- 
ing from  a  wolf-hunt,  Monseigneur  gave  a  splendid  collation 
in  the  Salle  de  Bal  to  those  who  had  been  at  the  hunt.  The 
repast  was  very  gay.  On  leaving  table,  he  went  to  promenade 
in  the  gardens,  and  then  embarked  on  the  canal.  .  .  .  On  the 
1 2th  of  June,  1691,  after  a  long  promenade  in  the  Orangery, 
the  king,  Monseigneur,  the  King  and  Queen  of  England, 
Monsieur  and  Madame,  the  princesses,  and  some  ladies  of 
their  suite,  went  to  the  Salle  de  Bal,  where  they  had  a  mag- 
nificent collation.  They  went  afterward  to  visit  many  of  the 
fountains.  .  .  .  On  the  1 6th  of  May,  169 1,  after  a  promenade 
in  gondolas  on  the  canal,  Monseigneur  and  the  princesses 
went  to  sup  at  the  Colonnade,  which  was  extremely  well 
lighted." 

THE    PROMENADES 

The  court  promenades  at  Versailles  were  splendid  spectacles, 
made  expressly  to  be  painted.  To  gain  some  notion  of  them, 
one  should  stand  in  the  parterre  of  Latona,  and  look  toward 
the  palace.  If  the  sun  is  sinking,  and  the  fountains  play,  the 
leaping  waters  flash  as  they  fall  aloft  on  Latona  and  her  chil- 
dren, and  afar,  beyond  the  green  yews,  in  the  long  yellow 
fagade  of  the  chateau,  the  lofty  windows  of  the  gallery  be- 
come refulgent.  Then,  as  in  the  flesh,  one  may  see  again 
the  court  of  France,  in  a  blaze  of  pomp  and  color,  descending 
that  huge  marble  staircase  at  the  heels  of  the  Grand  Monarch. 


373 


XIII 
THE  FETES 

NOWHERE  is  there  a  better  picture  of  the  luxury 
of  the  court  of  Versailles  than  that  given  by  the 
Mercure  in  describing  the  fetes  at  the  marriage  of 
the  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  the  Princess  Marie 
Adelaide  of  Savoy  (1697)  : 

"  No  prince  has  ever  kept  his  word  with  more  exactness 
than  the  king.  By  the  treaty  made  with  M.  le  Due  de  Savoie, 
His  Majesty  had  promised  to  marry  M.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne 
to  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Savoie  as  soon  as  she  should  reach 
the  age  of  twelve ;  and  as  she  accomplished  that  on  the  6th  of 
December,  the  marriage  took  place  on  the  day  following.  On 
that  day,  which  was  Saturday,  all  the  princes,  princesses, 
and  principal  ladies  of  the  court  assembled  between  eleven 
and  twelve  o'clock  in  the  chamber  ^  of  Mme.  la  Princesse  de 
Savoie.  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne,  accompanied  by  M.  le 
Due  de  Beauvilliers,^  was  conducted  there,  about  half-past 
eleven,  by  M.  le  Marquis  de  Blainville,  grand  master  of  cere- 
monies, and  by  M.  des  Granges,  master  of  ceremonies;  and 
that  prince  took  a  seat  near  the  princess,  who  was  still  at  her 
toilette.  The  king  having  informed  her  of  the  breaking  up 
of  the  council,  she  left  her  chamber  to  join  His  Majesty,  who 
was  waiting  for  her  in  the  gallery.     Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bour- 

^  The  state  bedchamber  of  the  queen. 
'  The  governor  of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne. 

374 


The  Fetes 

gogne  gave  her  his  right  hand.  M.  le  Marquis  de  Dangeau, 
his  chevalier  of  honor,  carried  his  robe  behind  that  prince,  and 
M.  le  Comte  de  Tesse,  his  first  equerry,  walking  on  the  other 
side,  assisted  from  time  to  time  in  bearing  it,  on  account  of 
the  weight  of  these  robes.  An  exempt  of  the  Guards,  for  the 
time  being  in  the  service  of  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Savoie,  car- 
ried her  train.  They  formed  the  procession  to  go  to  chapel. 
Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Savoie 
marched  before  His  Majesty;  the  princes  and  the  princesses 
marched  according  to  their  rank. 

"  The  dresses  were  magnificent.  The  king  wore  a  coat  of 
cloth  of  gold,  with  heavy  gold  embroidery  on  the  seams. 
Monseigneur  was  clad  in  gold  brocade,  with  gold  embroidery. 
The  suit  of  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  was  of  black  velvet, 
with  a  mantle.  The  mantle  was  embroidered  in  gold  and  lined 
with  cloth  of  silver,  likewise  embroidered  in  gold.  He  was  in 
doublet  and  hose,  and  covered  with  lace  (such  as  was  for- 
merly worn),  with  ribbons  in  his  shoes  and  plumes  in  his  hat. 
The  dress  of  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Savoie  was  of  cloth  of 
silver,  embroidered  in  silver,  with  a  set  of  rubies  and  pearls. 
Mgr.  le  Due  d'Anjou  and  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Berry  had  coats  of 
velvet,  covered  with  gold  embroidery,  and  very  rich  waist- 
coats. The  suit  of  Monsieur  was  superb.  It  was  of  black 
velvet,  with  buttonholes  of  heavy  gold  embroidery  and  but- 
tons of  large  diamonds.  His  waistcoat  was  of  cloth  of  gold, 
and  the  rest  of  his  costume  was  of  the  same  richness.  M.  le 
Due  de  Chartres  had  a  coat  of  gray  velvet  embroidered  in 
gold,  and  enriched  with  diamonds,  rubies,  and  emeralds.  M. 
le  Prince^  and  M.  le  Duc^  had  costumes  of  great  beauty. 
That  of  M.  le  Prince  was  of  black  velvet,  embroidered  in  gold 
with  a  very  fine  embroidery  and  marked  on  the  seams  with 
one  heavier  and  more  rich.     M.  le  Due  du  Maine  and  M.  le 

*  Henri- Jules  de  Bourbon,  Prince  de  Conde. 
'Louis  III,  Due  de  Bourbon,  son  of  the  former. 

375 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Comte  de  Toulouse  had  also  magnificent  suits.  Madame,^ 
Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Chartres,^  and  Mme.  la  Duchesse  ^  had 
dresses  in  much  the  same  style,  that  is  to  say,  the  most  beau- 
tiful cloths  of  gold,  embroidered  in  gold  as  heavily  and  richly 
as  possible.  Their  head-dresses  and  their  persons  were  cov- 
ered with  jewels.  The  dress  of  Mademoiselle  ^  was  gener- 
ally admired.  It  was  of  green  velvet,  covered  with  gold  em- 
broidery in  exquisite  taste,  with  a  set  of  diamonds  and  rubies. 
Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Conti  had  also  a  dress  of  green  velvet, 
with  magnificent  gold  embroidery,  and  many  jewels.  The 
dress  of  Mile,  de  Conde^  was  of  carnation-colored  velvet, 
embroidered  in  gold  and  silver,  with  a  quantity  of  jewels. 
A  large  number  of  the  lords  and  ladies  had  dresses  not  at  all 
inferior  to  those  mentioned.  The  ladies  who  were  no  longer 
young  were  clad  in  black  velvet,  with  very  beautiful  petti- 
coats embroidered  in  gold,  and  were  adorned  with  diamonds. 
"  The  court  in  this  magnificence  passed  through  the  grand 
gallery  and  the  state  apartments,  descended  the  grand  stair- 
case,^ and  entered  the  chapel."^  The  crowd  of  spectators  was 
very  great  throughout  all  the  apartments,  but  they  kept  very 
good  order  in  the  chapel.  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  and 
Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Savoie  knelt  on  cushions  at  the  steps  of 
the  altar.  M.  le  Cardinal  de  Coislin  performed  the  ceremony 
of  the  betrothing,  which  was  followed  by  that  of  the  mar- 
riage, and  in  both  these  ceremonies  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bour- 
gogne turned  toward  the  king  and  Monseigneur  to  ask  their 
consent ;  and  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Savoie  did  the  same,  and 
turned  as  well  toward  Monsieur  and  Madame  to  ask  also  their 

^  The     Duchesse     d'Orleans,    the  *  Elizabeth  -  Charlotte     d'Orleans, 

Palatine.  daughter  of  Monsieur. 

^  Daughter  of  the  king  and  Ma-  °  Anne-Louise    de    Bourbon,    died 

dame  de  Montespan.  in  1700. 

*  The     Duchesse     de      Bourbon,  "  The  ambassadors'  staircase, 

daughter    of    the    king   and    Men-  '  The  third  chapel  on  the  site  of 

tespan.  the  salon  of  Hercules. 


< 


i 


The  Fetes 

consent.  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  placed  a  ring  on  the 
finger  of  the  Princesse  de  Savoie,  and  presented  her  with 
thirteen  pieces  of  gold.  Then  M.  le  Cardinal  began  the  mass. 
At  the  offertory,  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  Mme.  la 
Princesse  de  Savoie  went  to  the  offering,  after  having  made 
the  usual  reverences  to  the  altar,  to  the  king,  and  to  Mon- 
seigneur.  M.  le  Marquis  de  Blainville  presented  to  Mgr,  le 
Due  de  Bourgogne  a  wax  taper  and  ten  louis  d'or,  and  M.  des 
Granges  did  the  same  to  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Savoie,  with 
an  equal  number  of  louis.  The  canopy  was  held  by  M.  I'Abbe 
de  Coislin,  called  from  the  bishopric  of  Metz,  first  almoner  in 
reversion,  and  by  M.  I'Abbe  Morel,  almoner  of  the  king. 
After  the  mass,  the  king  signed  the  register  of  the  parish; 
then  Mgr.  le  Dauphin,  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  Mme. 
la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  Mgr.  le  Due  d'Anjou,  Mgr.  le 
Due  de  Berry,  Monsieur  and  Madame,  M.  le  Due  and  Mme. 
la  Duchesse  de  Chartres,  M.  le  Prince  and  Mme.  la  Prin- 
cesse, and  the  other  princes  and  princesses.^ 

"  They  left  the  chapel  in  the  same  order  as  that  in  which 
they  had  entered,  and  returned  by  the  grand  staircase,  the 
apartments,  and  the  gallery,  to  the  chamber  of  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  from  which  they  passed  into  her 
antechamber.^  His  Majesty  dined  there  at  a  table  of  horse- 
shoe shape,  at  which  were  placed  according  to  their  rank  Mgr. 
le  Dauphin,  Mgr.  le  Due  and  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne, Mgr.  le  Due  d'Anjou,  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Berry,  Mon- 
sieur, Madame,  M.  le  Due  de  Chartres,  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de 
Chartres,  Mademoiselle,  Mme.  la  Grande  Duchesse,^  and  M. 

^"The  registers  of  the  parish  of  habitants  of  the  town."     Dussieux, 

Notre   Dame   are  preserved   to-day  I,  171. 

in  the  town-hall  at  Versailles.    The  '  The  queen's  antechamber, 

baptisms,  marriages,  and  deaths  of  '  Marguerite  -  Louise    d'Orleans, 

the    royal    family    of    France    are  daughter  of  Gaston,  Due  d'Orleans, 

inscribed    in    these    registers    sim-  uncle    of   Louis    XIV;    married   to 

ply    with    those    of    the    other    in-  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany. 

377 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

le  Prince,  Mme.  la  Princesse,  M.  le  Due  and  Mme.  la 
Duchesse,  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Conti,  Mile,  de  Conde,  M.  le 
Due  du  Maine,  M.  le  Comte  de  Toulouse,  and  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Verneuil.^ 

"Upon  leaving  table,  they  returned  to  the  chamber  of  Mme. 
la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  where  the  king  remained  but  a 
moment,  and  then  went  to  his  apartments,  always  more  oc- 
cupied with  affairs  of  state  than  with  pleasures,  even  in  the 
grandest  fetes.  Toward  six  in  the  evening,  the  ambassador 
of  Savoy,  with  a  numerous  suite,  came  to  compliment  the 
princess  upon  her  marriage,  and  to  present  to  her  some  young 
noblemen  from  Italy.  At  quarter  past  seven,  Mme.  la  Duch- 
esse de  Bourgogne,  followed  by  a  large  number  of  ladies, 
went  to  the  king's  apartments,  where  His  Majesty  was  wait- 
ing for  her  in  the  salon,^  to  receive  the  King  and  Queen  of 
England,  who  arrived  a  moment  after.  They  entered  into 
the  gallery,  which  was  lighted  by  three  lines  of  lusters  and  a 
large  number  of  candelabra.  From  the  gallery  they  passed 
into  the  chamber  or  portique,^  where  they  played  for  about  an 
hour ;  at  the  end  of  which,  the  king,  the  King  and  Queen  of 
England,  and  all  the  court,  went  to  the  salon,^  at  the  end  of 
the  gallery,  looking  toward  the  Orangery,  to  see  the  fireworks 
which  had  been  prepared  at  the  end  of  the  Swiss  Lake.     They 

^  Charlotte     Seguier,     widow     of  that    he    marched    in    front    of   the 

Henri    de    Bourbon,    Due    de    Ver-  duchess,  crying  out,  as  loud  as  he 

neuil,    natural    son    of    Henri    IV.  could,    '  Place,    place,    for    Madame 

"  The  princes  and  princesses  of  the  Charlotte   Seguier ! '  "   Saint-Simon, 

blood  were  placed  at  the  left  and  I,  p.  i8. 

right,  according  to  their  rank,  ter-  '  To-day  the  bedchamber  of  Louis 

minated    by    the    two    illegitimate  XIV. 

children   of  the   king,   and   for  the  '  Portique  was  a  game  introduced 

first  time,  after  them,  the  Duchesse  at  court  about    1689.     The  players 

de   Verneuil ;    so   that   M.    de   Ver-  spun   a   ball    about   a   portico,    into 

neuil,  illegitimate  son  of  Henri  IV,  which  it  rolled  through  one  of  the 

became  thus  '  prince  of  the  blood '  openings,  and  stopped  on  a  number, 

so  many  years  after  his  death,  with-  the  value  of  which  decided  the  gain 

out  having  suspected  it.     The  Due  or  loss. 

d'Uzes    thought    this    so    amusing  *  The  salon  of  Peace. 


The  Fetes 

did  not  have  a  theater  arranged  in  the  usual  manner  for  the 
fireworks,  but  had  placed  them  all  round  the  water,  and  espe- 
cially at  the  further  end,  upon  a  kind  of  natural  amphi- 
theater ;  and  everything  was  arranged  so  as  to  form  arches  of 
fire  over  the  water,  at  the  sides  of  which  an  immense  number 
of  lamps  in  earthen  pots  made  a  parterre  of  light.  But  the 
wind  and  the  rain,  which  came  about  that  time,  injured  the 
spectacle. 

"All  the  court  passed  then  to  the  chamber  of  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  which  was  brilliantly  lighted,  and  in 
which,  the  day  before,  they  had  set  up  a  magnificent  bed  and 
canopy  of  green  velvet,  embroidered  in  gold  and  silver.  The 
court  saw  there,  also,  the  toilette  of  the  princess,  which  was 
much  admired,  both  for  its  articles  of  gold  and  silver  and  for 
its  embroidery  and  lace. 

"  They  went  to  table,  and  the  king  supped,  with  the  King 
and  Queen  of  England,  and  with  the  same  persons,  and  in  the 
same  apartment,  as  at  dinner.  During  the  supper,  they  placed 
in  the  grand  cabinet  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  the 
toilette  of  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne,  which  in  richness  and 
good  taste,  lace  and  embroidery,  made  it  difficult  to  decide  as 
to  which  of  the  two  toilettes  the  preference  should  be  given. 

"  After  the  supper,  the  grand  master  and  the  master  of 
ceremonies  went  to  seek  M.  le  Cardinal  de  Coislin,  who  was 
to  pronounce  the  benediction  of  the  bed.  Mgr.  le  Due  de 
Bourgogne  undressed  in  the  cabinet  where  they  had  placed  his 
toilette,  and  at  the  same  time  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
was  undressed,  after  they  had  made  all  the  persons  leave  her 
bedchamber  who  ought  not  to  remain.  The  King  of  Eng- 
land presented  the  shirt  to  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne,  and 
the  Queen  of  England  the  chemise  to  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne,  who  gave  her  garters  and  her  bouquet  to  Made- 
moiselle.^ As  soon  as  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was 
'  Mile.  d'Orleans,  daughter  of  Monsieur. 

379 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

in  bed,  the  king  summoned  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne,  who 
entered  the  chamber  in  his  dressing-gown,  his  cap  in  his  hand, 
and  his  hair  tied  behind  with  a  red  ribbon,  and  placed  himself 
in  bed  on  the  right  side.  The  curtains  at  the  foot  of  the  bed 
were  closed,  but  those  at  the  sides  remained  half  open.  The 
king  summoned  the  ambassador  of  Savoy,  and  said  to  him 
that  he  could  now  testify  that  he  had  seen  the  married  couple 
in  bed  together.  The  king  and  the  King  and  Queen  of  Eng- 
land retired,  but  Monseigneur  remained  in  the  chamber.  A 
moment  after,  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  rose,  passed  into 
the  grand  cabinet,  where  he  dressed  again,  and  returned  to 
his  own  apartments  to  go  to  bed.^ 

"  On  Sunday,  the  8th,  at  six  in  the  evening,  there  was  an 
assembly  in  the  grand  cabinet  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne, where  were  a  very  large  number  of  princesses  and 
duchesses,  magnificently  attired.  The  king  came  at  seven 
o'clock.  They  passed  then  to  the  state  apartments,  where 
they  had  music,  play,^  and  a  splendid  collation.  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  wore  on  that  day  a  dress  of  red  vel- 
vet, embroidered  in  gold,  with  a  set  of  diamonds. 

"  Monday,  the  9th,  the  fete  of  the  Conception  of  the  Virgin, 
the  king  and  all  the  court  heard  the  sermon  of  Pere  Bourda- 
loue,  and  vespers.  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  ap- 
peared for  the  first  time  at  chapel  in  her  new  rank.  She  wore 
that  day  a  dress  of  black  velvet,  with  a  set  of  diamonds,  and  a 
petticoat  of  cloth  of  gold,  embroidered  in  gold. 

"  Tuesday,  the  loth,  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the  Princess 
of  England  ^  came  at  three  o'clock  to  visit  Mme.  la  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne,  who  wore  that  day  a  dress  of  rose-colored 
satin,  embroidered  in  silver,  with  a  set  of  diamonds.  They 
went  afterward  to  the  apartments  of  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bour- 
gogne. 

^  On  account  of  their  youth,  they       ^  Gambling  at  portique. 
were  not  permitted  to  live  together       '  The  children  of  James  II. 
until  two  years  later. 

380 


The  Fetes 

"  On  Wednesday,  the  nth,  there  was  in  the  gallery  of  Ver- 
sailles the  largest  and  most  magnificent  ball  that  had  ever  been 
seen  at  court.  In  the  center  of  the  gallery,  a  place,  fifty  feet 
long  and  nineteen  feet  wide,  had  been  arranged  for  the  dan- 
cing, and  was  surrounded  by  two  rows  of  seats  for  the  lords 
and  ladies.  The  arm-chair  of  the  king,  and  those  of  the 
King  and  Queen  of  England,  faced  the  salon  of  Peace;  and, 
opposite  these  arm-chairs,  the  inclosure  of  the  ball  had  an 
opening  six  feet  wide  to  permit  entrance  and  exit.  In  all  the 
windows  of  the  gallery  there  were  tiers  of  seats,  covered  with 
tapestry.  The  gallery  was  lighted  by  three  lines  of  chande- 
liers, extending  from  one  end  to  the  other :  those  of  the  mid- 
dle line  had  eight  branches,  and  were  the  largest ;  the  others 
were  of  seventeen  branches  each,  but  smaller.  There  were 
also  on  each  side  thirty-two  candelabra  on  round,  gilded 
tables;  but  what  lighted  to  the  best  advantage  were  eight 
rounded  pyramids,  ten  feet  high,  composed  of  eight  steps 
rising  to  a  point,  and  covered  with  gold  gauze,  each  of  which 
held  one  hundred  and  fifty  candles  in  silver  candlesticks. 
These  pyramids  rested  on  square  pedestals,  four  feet  high 
and  four  feet  wide,  covered  with  crimson  velvet  fringed  with 
gold.  Four  of  these  pyramids  were  placed  at  the  corners  of 
the  inclosure  of  the  ball,  and  the  other  four  at  the  ends  of  the 
gallery,  at  the  sides  of  the  doorways  leading  to  the  salons, 
which,  in  their  turn,  were  lighted  by  five  lusters  each,  and  by 
four  candelabra  on  gilded  tables.  In  the  three  doors  of  the 
salon  of  the  private  apartments  of  the  king,  which  open  into 
the  center  of  the  gallery,  there  were  tiers  of  seats  for  the 
violins  and  hautboys,  but  these  seats  did  not  jut  out  into  the 
gallery. 

"  Before  four  o'clock  all  the  seats  in  the  windows  were 
filled  with  the  crowd,  and  between  six  and  seven  the  noblemen 
and  ladies  of  the  court  assembled  in  the  apartments  of  Mme. 
la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne.     It  would  be  impossible  to  de- 

381 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

scribe  the  richness  and  diversity  of  the  dresses.  Monseigneur 
wore  a  coat  of  cloth  of  gold,  embroidered  in  silver.  Mgrs.  les 
Dues  de  Bourgogne,  d'Anjou,  and  de  Berry  were  in  coats 
of  velvet,  heavily  embroidered  in  gold.  That  of  Mgr.  le  Due 
de  Bourgogne  was  black,  with  many  diamonds.  Monsieur 
wore  the  same  costume  as  on  the  day  of  the  marriage,  black 
velvet  with  buttonholes  embroidered  in  gold  and  large  dia- 
mond buttons.  That  of  M.  le  Due  de  Chartres  was  rich  and 
elegant ;  it  was  of  gold  brocade.  The  lords,  who  were  in  great 
number,  had  coats  of  velvet  richly  embroidered,  or  brocades. 
Some  had  simple  coats,  but  the  large  majority  had  coats  cov- 
ered with  gold  and  silver  embroidery.  They  had  very  rich 
shoulder-knots,  their  sleeves  were  covered  with  gold  and  sil- 
ver lace,  and  their  gloves  were  trimmed  with  the  same;  their 
silk  stockings  were  embroidered  in  gold,  and  their  shoes  were 
adorned  with  ribbons.  The  dresses  of  the  ladies  were  not  less 
splendid.  That  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was  of 
cloth  of  gold,  with  a  trimming  of  diamonds,  in  which,  as  in 
her  head-dress,  were  the  most  beautiful  diamonds  of  the 
crown.  Madame,  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Chartres,  Mademoi- 
selle, Mme.  la  Duchesse,  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Conti,  and 
Mile,  de  Conde,  all  had  dresses  rivaling  one  another  in  beauty 
and  richness.  All  the  ladies  at  the  ball  were  in  cloths  of  gold 
or  silver,  or  in  velvets  of  all  colors,  and  covered  with  jewels. 

"  The  king  came  at  seven  o'clock  into  the  chamber  of  Mme. 
la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne.  He  was  clad  in  black  velvet,  em- 
broidered everywhere  with  very  fine  and  delicate  gold  em- 
broidery, and  on  the  seams  with  one  heavier  and  richer,  and 
with  diamond  buttons.  The  King  and  Queen  of  England  ar- 
rived shortly  after.  The  queen  was  richly  clad  in  cloth  of 
gold.  They  passed  into  the  gallery,  and  the  ball  commenced. 
Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  opened  it  by  the  branle,^  taking 

^  A  solemn  stately  dance,  in  which  the  dancers  repeated  what 
was  done  by  the  two  who  opened  the  branle. 

382 


The  Fetes 

Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and  when  the  branle  was 
finished,  they  danced  together  the  first  coiirante}  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  took  Mgr.  le  Due  d'Anjou,  and  he 
took  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Chartres,  who  took  Mgr.  le  Due  de 
Berry,  who  in  his  turn  took  Mademoiselle,  and  the  others  fol- 
lowed in  order  and  according  to  rank. 

"  As  the  number  of  dancers  was  very  large,  many  of  those 
who  were  named  could  not  dance  at  all,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
there  were  not  enough  ladies.  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne was  much  admired  in  the  minuet  and  in  the  passepied.^ 
They  danced  frequently  with  four  persons  in  the  minuet,  and 
at  the  end  with  a  larger  number. 

"  At  eight  o'clock  the  king  asked  for  the  collation,  which 
was  brought  in  on  twelve  tables,  covered  with  moss  and  ver- 
dure, on  which  in  compartments  were  all  kinds  of  fruits  and 
sweetmeats,  surrounded  by  flowers.  They  were  brought  into 
the  inclosure  of  the  ball,  and  when  all  together  they  formed  a 
fragrant  parterre,  in  which  were  four  orange-trees.  The 
tables  were  then  separated,  and,  being  on  wheels,  were  pushed, 
one  after  another,  around  the  inclosure  of  the  ball.  Valets 
brought  also  an  immense  number  of  baskets  full  of  packages 
of  sweetmeats,  and  trays  full  of  liqueurs  and  ices.  After  the 
collation  had  been  entirely  '  pillaged,'  the  valets  removed  all 
traces  of  it,  and  the  ball  was  continued  until  half-past  ten. 
When  it  was  finished,  the  king  and  Their  Britannic  Majesties 
entered  the  private  apartments  of  His  Majesty,  where  supper 
was  served  in  the  antechamber.  The  lords  and  ladies  left  the 
gallery  by  way  of  the  apartments  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne.  The  king's  table  was  of  horseshoe  shape,  as  on 
the  day  of  the  marriage.  It  was  filled  by  His  Majesty,  the 
King  and  Queen  of  England,  Monseigneur,  Mgr.  le  Due  and 
Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  Mgrs.  les  Dues  d'Anjou 

*  This  was  more  of  a  stately  march,  full  of  graceful  poses,  than  a  dance. 
^  A  very  rapid  dance. 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

and  de  Berry,  Monsieur  and  Madame,  M.  and  Madame  de 
Chartres,  Mademoiselle,  Mme.  la  Duchesse,  and  Mme.  la 
Princesse  de  Conti.  After  supper,  the  King  and  Queen  of 
England  returned  to  St.  Germain,  and  every  one  retired. 

"  On  the  following  Saturday,  the  14th  of  December,  there 
was  another  large  ball,  which  began  later  than  the  preceding 
one,  because  they  did  not  have  supper  until  midnight.  The 
crowd  of  spectators  had  been  so  great  at  the  first  ball  that  peo- 
ple of  rank  had  had  hardly  sufficient  room  to  dance.  Mme. 
la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  wore  on  this  evening  a  dress  of 
black  velvet  all  covered  with  diamonds.  Her  hair  was  wound 
with  pearls,  and  her  head-dress  and  corsage  were  so  full  of 
diamonds^  that  she  was  so  dazzling  that  one  could  hardly 
look  at  her.  The  greater  part  of  the  princesses  of  the  royal 
family  wore  on  that  evening  dresses  of  black  velvet.  Madame 
was  decked  with  rubies  and  diamonds,  and  her  petticoat  was 
of  gold  brocade.  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Chartres  was  in 
black  velvet,  trimmed  on  all  the  seams  with  diamonds.  The 
dress  of  Mademoiselle  was  of  black  velvet,  laced  with  dia- 
monds and  pearls.  All  the  head-dresses  were  covered  with 
jewels.  The  princes  were  not  less  magnificent.  .  .  .  Nothing 
more  brilliant  had  been  seen.  In  the  gallery  and  the  adjoin- 
ing apartments  there  were  four  or  five  thousand  lights."  ^ 

LA  FETE  DES  ROIS 

La  Fete  des  Rois  (Twelfth-Night)  was  celebrated  each  year 
with  pomp.  In  1688  there  were  70  ladies  at  the  king's  sup- 
per, and  90  at  the  fete  of  1693.  In  1698  the  king  did  not  wish 
to  celebrate  les  Rois  at  Versailles  on  account  of  the  large 
number  of  ladies  whom  he  would  have  been  obliged  to  invite. 
A  list  had  been  made  of  407,  of  whom  the  king  would  have 

^  The    king    had    given    to    the     jewels,  valued  at  11,333,000  livres 
Duchesse    de    Bourgogne,    shortly      (about  $12,000,000  to-day), 
before  her  marriage,  all  the  crown         *Le  Mercure  Galant,  1697. 


^ 


pq 


The  Fetes 

been  obliged  to  ask  at  least  200.  The  fete,  therefore,  was 
held  at  Marly.    The  fete  of  1708  had  special  brilliancy. 

"  A  little  before  ten  o'clock,"  says  Dangeau,  "  the  king 
went  to  the  apartments  of  Mme,  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 
where  were  the  King  of  England  ^  and  the  princess  his  sister, 
the  princesses  and  ladies  of  the  court.  They  entered  the  gal- 
lery, which  was  most  brilliantly  illuminated  with  more  than 
2000  large  candles,  and  from  the  gallery  they  passed  into  the 
grand  antechamber  ^  of  the  king.  They  found  there  four 
tables  of  eighteen  covers  each.  The  king  held  the  first,  where 
were  the  King  of  England,  the  princess  his  sister,  and  Mme. 
la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne.  Monseigneur  presided  over  the 
second,  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  over  the  third,  and  Mgr.  le 
Due  de  Berry  over  the  fourth.  After  supper,  they  returned 
to  the  gallery,  and  passed  to  the  state  apartments  of  the  king, 
where  there  was  a  magnificent  ball  in  the  salon  of  Mars,  in 
the  tribunes  of  which  were  the  violins  and  hautboys.  The 
courtiers  entered  from  the  salon  of  Diana ;  the  king  and  the 
great  officers  of  the  crown,  from  the  salon  of  Mercury. 
There  were  many  there  who  had  never  before  had  the  honor 
of  dancing  before  the  king.  The  king  remained  at  the  ball 
until  half-past  one  in  the  morning;  Monseigneur  remained 
until  the  end."  ^ 

The  Mercure  completes  the  account  of  Dangeau  by  fur- 
nishing further  details  of  the  same  fete :  "  Seventy-two  Swiss 
of  the  Cent-Suisses  of  His  Majesty  were  chosen  to  serve  the 
four  tables  in  the  king's  antechamber,  and  to  avoid  confu- 
sion, that  each  one  might  know  to  what  table  he  was  to  carry 
the  plates  given  to  him,  the  four  companies  of  Swiss  had  rib- 
bons of  different  colors,  corresponding  to  the  colors  of  the 
tables,  so  that  no  confusion  occurred.  They  had  summoned 
many  controllers  of  the  Maison  du  Roi  for  the  meats,  and 

^In  1708,  the  son  of  James  II;  so  'The  CEil-de-Boeuf. 

called  at  Versailles.  '  Dangeau,  VI,  p.  274. 

385 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

there  were  two  at  each  table  to  carve.  .  .  .  While  the 
'  queens '  drank,  they  followed  the  ancient  custom,  and  cries 
of  '  The  queen  drinks ! '  were  heard  on  all  sides.  As  it  some- 
times happened  that  two  or  three  *  queens  '  were  drinking  at 
the  same  moment,  the  noise  was  increased,  but  always  very 
agreeable,  with  the  sounds  of  clapping  of  hands,  or  the  strik- 
ing of  a  dish  or  glass  with  a  fork,  in  accordance  with  the  cere- 
mony. ...  At  the  ball,  in  the  salon  of  Mars,  the  inclosure 
for  the  dancing  was  in  the  form  of  a  square,  with  arm-chairs 
at  one  side  for  the  king  and  for  the  King  of  England,  and 
stools  and  benches  for  the  courtiers.  At  either  end  of  the 
salon,  and  in  the  windows,  were  raised  seats  for  the  spec- 
tators. The  officers  of  the  music  and  the  musicians  were  in 
the  marble  tribunes ;  and  the  salon  was  lighted  by  twelve 
lusters  and  many  candelabra.  .  .  .  The  princess  of  England 
was  in  what  is  now  called  grand  habit;  it  was  of  yellow  vel- 
vet, and  covered  with  jewels,  both  petticoat  and  train.  The 
dress  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was  of  black  velvet, 
and  her  petticoat  was  covered  with  many  jewels.  The  two 
princesses  had  very  beautiful  head-dresses.  All  the  ladies 
were  in  different-colored  velvets,  with  diamonds.  The  ball 
was  opened  by  the  King  of  England  and  the  princess  his  sis- 
ter. People  noticed  that  the  first  time  that  His  Britannic 
Majesty  rose  to  dance,  the  king  rose  also,  and  remained  stand- 
ing as  long  as  that  prince  danced.  All  the  princes,  prin- 
cesses, and  the  other  persons  who  danced,  saluted  Their  Maj- 
esties before  beginning  to  dance.  .  .  .  The  king  left  the 
ball  at  one  o'clock.  The  collation,  which  was  brought  in 
some  time  after,  was  first  presented  to  all  the  circle,  and  then 
to  the  spectators.  The  ball  began  again  after  the  collation, 
and  continued  until  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  At  the  close 
of  the  ball.  His  Britannic  Majesty  and  the  princess  his  sister 
returned    to    St.    Germain.     The    Body-Guards,    the    Cent- 

386 


The  Fetes 

Suisses,  and  the  French  Guards  were  under  arms,  and  their 
drums  beat  the  salute,  as  is  customary  whenever  Their  Bri- 
tannic Majesties  come  to  the  king's  palace." 

THE   CARNIVAL 

At  the  time  of  the  carnival  many  fancy-dress  balls  and 
masquerades  were  held  nearly  every  year.  The  Mercure 
describes  the  carnival  of  1683  :  "  There  have  been  this  winter 
five  balls  in  five  different  apartments  at  Versailles,  all  so  grand 
and  so  beautiful  that  no  other  royal  house  in  the  world  can 
show  the  like.  Entrance  was  given  to  masks  only,  and  no 
persons  presented  themselves  without  being  disguised,  unless 
they  were  of  very  high  rank.  .  .  .  People  invent  grotesque 
disguises,  they  revive  old  fashions,  they  choose  the  most 
ridiculous  things,  and  seek  to  make  them  as  amusing  as  pos- 
sible. .  .  .  Mgr.  le  Dauphin  changed  his  disguise  eight  or  ten 
times  each  evening.  M.  Berain  had  need  of  all  his  wit  to 
furnish  these  disguises,  and  of  all  his  ingenuity  to  get  them 
made  up,  since  there  was  so  little  time  from  one  ball  to  an- 
other. The  prince  did  not  wish  to  be  recognized,  and  all 
sorts  of  extraordinary  disguises  were  invented  for  him;  fre- 
quently under  the  figures  that  concealed  him,  one  could  not 
have  told  whether  the  person  thus  masked  was  tall  or  short, 
fat  or  thin.  Sometimes  he  had  double  masks,  and  under  the 
first  a  mask  of  wax  so  well  made  that,  when  he  took  off  his 
first  mask,  people  fancied  they  saw  the  natural  face,  and  he 
deceived  everybody.  Nothing  can  equal  the  enjoyment  which 
Mgr.  le  Dauphin  takes  in  all  these  diversions,  nor  the  rapidity 
with  which  he  changes  his  disguises.  He  leaves  all  his 
officers  without  being  fatigued,  although  he  works  harder  at 
dressing  and  undressing  himself  than  they  do,  and  he  dances 
much.  This  prince  shows  in  the  least  things,  in  his  horse- 
manship, and  in  the  ardor  with  which  he  follows  the  chase, 

387 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

what  pleasure  he  will  take  some  day  in  commanding  armies. 
But  could  one  expect  less  from  the  son  of  Louis  le  Grand !  ^ 

"  The  first  of  the  five  balls  was  given  by  M.  le  Grand,^  in 
his  apartments  in  the  new  wing  of  Versailles.^  The  ball  com- 
menced with  a  masquerade.  They  danced  a  minuet  and  a 
jig;  but  only  Mile,  de  Nantes^  danced  in  the  latter.  The 
minuet  was  danced  by  Miles.  d'Armagnac,  d'Uzes,  and  de 
Grignan.  Mile,  de  Nantes  was  especially  admired  when  she 
danced,  and  made  so  great  an  impression  that  people  stood  on 
chairs  to  see  her  better.  Mgr.  le  Dauphin  came  to  the  masque- 
rade with  M.  le  Prince  de  la  Roche-sur-Yon  and  many  other 
nobles.  He  was  in  a  sedan-chair,  accompanied  by  a  number 
of  merry-andrews  and  dwarfs.  He  changed  his  disguise 
four  or  five  times  during  the  ball,  which  lasted  until  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  .  .  .  The  second  ball  was  given  by 
Mgr.  le  Dauphin  in  the  hall  of  his  Guards,  which  forms  the 
entrance  to  his  apartments.  M.  le  Due  gave  the  third,  which 
was  magnificent.  Some  days  after  it  was  the  turn  of  the 
Cardinal  de  Bouillon  to  receive  the  court." 

One  carnival  was  much  like  another,  in  spite  of  the  diver- 
sity of  the  disguises.  On  the  24th  of  February,  1699,  there 
were  3000  masks  at  St.  Cloud  at  a  ball  given  by  Monsieur. 
The  winter  of  1700  was  very  gay. 

"  From  just  before  Candlemas  day  to  Easter  of  this  year 
(1700),"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  nothing  was  heard  of  but  balls 
and  pleasures  of  the  court.  The  king  gave  at  Versailles  and 
Marly  several  masquerades,  by  which  he  was  much  amused, 
under  pretext  of  amusing  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne.  At 
one  of  these  balls  at  Marly  a  ridiculous  scene  occurred. 
Dancers  were  wanting,  and  Madame  de  Luxembourg  on  ac- 

*  This    little    panegyric,    in    very  '  The  south  wing  of  the  chateau, 

good  taste  when  it  was  written,  is  *  Daughter    of    Louis    XIV    and 

now  quite  ridiculous.     Monseigneur  Madame     de     Montespan;     later, 

never  fulfilled  such  hopes.  Duchesse  de  Bourbon. 

'  The  grand  equerry. 

388 


The  Fetes 

count  of  this  obtained  an  invitation,  but  with  great  difficulty, 
for  she  lived  in  such  a  fashion  that  no  woman  would  see  her. 
M.  de  Luxembourg  was  perhaps  the  only  person  in  France 
who  was  ignorant  of  Madame  de  Luxembourg's  conduct. 
He  lived  with  his  wife  on  apparently  good  terms,  and  as 
though  he  had  not  the  slightest  mistrust  of  her.  On  this  oc- 
casion, because  of  the  want  of  dancers,  the  king  made  older 
people  dance  than  was  customary,  and  among  others  M.  de 
Luxembourg.  Everybody  was  compelled  to  be  masked. 
M.  de  Luxembourg  spoke  on  this  subject  to  M.  le  Prince, 
who,  malicious  as  any  monkey,  determined  to  divert  all  the 
court  and  himself  at  the  duke's  expense.  He  invited  M.  de 
Luxembourg  to  supper,  and  after  that  meal  was  over,  masked 
him  according  to  his  fancy. 

"  Soon  after  my  arrival  at  the  ball,  I  saw  a  figure  strangely 
clad  in  long  flowing  muslin,  and  with  a  head-dress  on  which 
were  fixed  the  horns  of  a  stag,  so  high  that  they  became  en- 
tangled in  the  chandelier.  Of  course  everybody  was  much 
astonished  at  so  strange  a  sight,  and  all  thought  that  that 
mask  must  be  very  sure  of  his  wife  to  deck  himself  so.  Sud- 
denly the  mask  turned  round  and  showed  us  M.  de  Luxem- 
bourg. The  burst  of  laughter  at  this  was  scandalous.  Good 
M.  de  Luxembourg,  who  was  never  very  remarkable  for  wit, 
benignly  took  all  this  laughter  as  having  been  excited  simply 
by  the  singularity  of  his  costume,  and  to  the  questions  ad- 
dressed to  him  replied  quite  simply  that  his  dress  had  been 
arranged  by  M.  le  Prince ;  then,  turning  to  the  right  and  to  the 
left,  he  admired  himself  and  strutted  with  pleasure  at  having 
been  masked  by  M.  le  Prince.  In  a  moment  more  the  ladies 
arrived,  and  the  king  immediately  after  them.  The  laughter 
commenced  anew  as  loudly  as  ever,  and  M.  de  Luxembourg 
presented  himself  to  the  company  with  a  confidence  that  was 
ravishing.  His  wife  had  heard  nothing  of  this  masquerad- 
ing, and  when  she  saw  it,  lost  countenance,  brazen  as  she  was. 

389 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 


Everybody  stared  at  her  and  her  husband,  and  seemed  dying 
of  laughter.  M.  le  Prince  looked  at  the  scene  from  behind 
the  king,  and  laughed  inwardly  at  his  malicious  trick.  This 
amusement  lasted  throughout  all  the  ball,  and  the  king,  self- 
contained  as  he  usually  was,  laughed  also.  People  were  never 
tired  of  admiring  an  invention  so  cruelly  ridiculous,  and 
spoke  of  it  for  several  days. 

"  No  evening  passed  on  which  there  was  not  a  ball.  The 
chancellor's  wife  gave  one  which  was  a  fete  the  most  gallant 
and  the  most  magnificent  possible.  There  were  different 
rooms  for  the  fancy-dress  ball,  for  the  masqueraders,  for  a 
superb  collation,  for  shops  of  all  countries,  Chinese,  Japan- 
ese, etc.,  where  many  singular  and  beautiful  things  were  sold, 
but  no  money  taken ;  they  were  presents  for  the  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne  and  the  ladies.  Everybody  was  especially  di- 
verted at  this  entertainment,  which  did  not  finish  until  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  Madame  de  Saint-Simon  and  I 
passed  the  last  three  weeks  of  this  time  without  ever  seeing 
the  day.  Certain  dancers  were  allowed  to  leave  off  dancing 
only  at  the  same  time  as  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne.  One 
morning  at  Marly,  when  I  wished  to  escape  too  early,  the 
duchess  caused  me  to  be  forbidden  to  pass  the  doors  of  the 
salon ;  several  of  us  had  the  same  fate.  I  was  delighted  when 
Ash  Wednesday  arrived,  and  I  remained  a  day  or  two  dead- 
beat.  Madame  de  Saint-Simon  could  not  get  over  Shrove 
Tuesday." 

The  fete  to  which  Saint-Simon  alludes  was  given  by  Ma- 
dame de  Pontchartrain,  the  wife  of  the  Chancellor  of  France, 
in  the  Hotel  de  la  Chancellerie,  Rue  de  la  Chancellerie,  Ver- 
sailles, on  the  8th  of  February,  1700.  It  was  the  most  elabo- 
rate fete  held  outside  of  the  palace.  The  Mercure  describes 
the  fete  in  detail : 

"  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  learning  that  Mme.  la 
Chanceliere  wished  to  give  her  a  ball,  received  the  proposition 

390 


The  Fetes 

with  much  joy.  Although  there  were  but  eight  days  in  which 
to  prepare  for  it,  Mme.  la  Chanceliere  resolved  to  give  the 
princess  in  one  evening  all  the  diversions  that  people  usually 
take  during  all  the  carnival  period  —  namely,  comedy,  fair, 
and  ball.  When  the  evening  came,  detachments  of  Swiss 
were  posted  in  the  street  and  in  the  courtyard,  with  many 
servants  of  Mme.  la  Chanceliere,  so  that  there  was  no  confu- 
sion at  the  gates  or  in  the  court,  which  was  brightly  lighted 
with  torches.  ,  .  ,  People  saw  in  the  ball-room  a  large  por- 
trait of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  above  the  fireplace. 
The  ball-room  was  lighted  by  ten  chandeliers  and  by  magnifi- 
cent, gilded  candelabra.  At  one  end,  on  raised  seats,  were 
the  musicians,  hautboys  and  violins,  in  fancy  dress  with 
plumed  caps.  In  front  of  the  velvet-covered  benches  for  the 
courtiers  were  three  arm-chairs,  one  for  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne,  and  the  others  for  Monsieur  and  Madame.  On 
account  of  a  slight  indisposition,  Monsieur  was  not  present, 
but  Madame  came,  without  being  masked.  Beyond  the  ball- 
room, across  the  landing  of  the  staircase,  was  another  hall, 
brilliantly  lighted,  in  which  were  hautboys  and  violins,  and 
this  hall  was  for  the  masks,  who  came  in  such  numbers  that 
the  ball-room  could  not  have  contained  them  all. 

"  On  alighting  from  her  carriage,  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne  was  received  by  M.  le  Chancelier,  Mme.  la  Chan- 
celiere, and  their  son,  M.  le  Comte  de  Pontchartrain,  and  by 
many  of  their  friends  and  relatives.  .  .  .  Mme.  la  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne  was  conducted  to  the  ball-room.  Monseigneur, 
Mgrs.  les  Dues  de  Bourgogne  and  de  Berry,  and  all  the 
princesses,  all  masked,  arrived  almost  at  the  same  time,  and 
having  received  them,  M.  le  Chancelier  left  the  other  honors 
to  Mme.  la  Chanceliere.  .  .  .  After  remaining  about  an  hour 
at  the  ball,  Mme.  la  Chanceliere  and  the  Comte  de  Pontchar- 
train conducted  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  into  another 
hall,  filled  with  lights  and  mirrors,  where  a  theater  had  been 

391 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

erected  to  furnish  the  diversion  of  a  comedy.  Only  about 
one  hundred  people  were  allowed  to  enter  the  hall  of  comedy, 
and  the  princes  and  princesses  of  the  blood,  being  masked, 
took  no  rank  there.  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  and 
Madame  had  arm-chairs  in  the  center  of  the  hall.  The 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was  surprised  to  see  a  splendid 
theater,  adorned  with  her  arms  and  monogram.  ...  As 
soon  as  the  princess  was  seated,  Bari,  the  famous  mountebank 
of  Paris,  came  forward  and  asked  her  protection  against  the 
doctors,  and  having  extolled  the  excellence  of  his  remedies, 
and  the  marvels  of  his  secrets,  he  offered  to  the  princess  as  a 
little  diversion  a  comedy  such  as  they  sometimes  played  at 
Paris.  There  was  given  then  a  little  comedy  which  Mme.  la 
Chanceliere  had  gotten  M.  Dancourt  to  write  expressly  for 
that  fete.  All  the  actors  were  from  the  company  of  the 
comedians  of  the  king.  They  played  to  perfection,  and  re- 
ceived much  praise.  ...  At  the  end  of  the  comedy,  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was  conducted  into  another  hall, 
where  a  superb  collation  had  been  prepared  in  an  ingenious 
manner.  At  one  end  of  the  hall,  in  a  half-circle,  were  five 
booths,  in  which  were  merchants,  clad  in  the  costumes  of  dif- 
ferent countries;  a  French  pastry-cook,  a  seller  of  oranges 
and  lemons,  an  Italian  lemonade-seller,  a  seller  of  sweetmeats, 
a  vendor  of  coffee,  tea,  and  chocolate.  They  were  from  the 
king's  musicians,  and  sung  their  wares,  accompanied  by 
music,  at  the  sides  of  the  booths,  and  had  pages  to  serve  the 
guests.  The  booths  were  splendidly  painted  and  gilded, 
adorned  with  lusters  and  flowers,  and  bore  the  arms  and 
cipher  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne.  At  the  back  of 
each  booth  a  large  mirror  reflected  the  whole.  .  .  .  The 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  left  this  hall,  after  the  collation,  de- 
lighted with  all  that  she  had  seen  and  heard.  Since  the  ball- 
room was  so  crowded  with  masks,  the  princess  returned  to  the 
hall  of  comedy,  where  they  held  a  smaller  court  ball  until  two 

392 


The  Fetes 

o'clock,  when  she  went  to  the  grand  ball  to  see  the  masks. 
She  was  much  amused  there  until  four  in  the  morning.  When 
Mme.  la  Chanceliere  and  the  Comte  de  Pontchartrain  con- 
ducted her  to  the  foot  of  the  staircase,  she  thanked  them  much 
for  the  pleasure  they  had  given  her.  This  fete  brought  many- 
congratulations  to  Mme.  la  Chanceliere."  ^ 

TOURNAMENTS    AT   THE    GREAT   STABLES 

On  several  occasions  tournaments  were  held  in  the  riding- 
school  of  the  Great  Stables  at  Versailles.  Dangeau,  under 
date  of  June  4th  and  5th,  describes  the  tournament  of  1685  : 

"  The  king  and  Mme.  la  Dauphine  ^  dined  at  an  early  hour, 
and  on  leaving  table,  the  king  and  Monseigneur  entered  a 
carriage.  Mme.  la  Dauphine  and  many  ladies  followed  in 
other  carriages.  In  the  court  of  the  ministers,  they  found 
all  the  cavaliers  of  the  tournament  drawn  up  in  two  lines ;  the 
pages  and  lackeys  were  there  also.  Monseigneur  mounted  a 
horse  at  the  head  of  one  company ;  M.  le  Due  de  Bourbon  was 
at  the  head  of  the  other.  The  king  went  to  take  his  seat  in 
the  place  prepared  for  him. 

"  The  cavaliers  first  rode  round  the  courtyard  of  the 
chateau,  passing  under  the  windows  of  the  young  Due  de 
Bourgogne,  who  was  on  the  balcony.  Then  they  rode  out  of 
the  gate  and  down  the  Avenue  de  Paris,  and  entered  the  rid- 
ing-school of  the  Great  Stables  by  a  gate  made  near  the 
Kennels.  After  riding  in  procession  before  the  raised  seats 
of  the  court,  they  took  their  posts,  twenty  cavaliers  in  each 
corner,  with  their  pages  and  grooms  behind  them ;  the  drums 
and  trumpets  at  the  barrier.  The  subject  of  the  tournament 
was  the  wars  of  Granada,  and  the  cavaliers  represented  the 
Spaniards  and  the  Moors.  Monseigneur  rode  a  tilt  with  the 
Due  de  Bourbon,  and  MM.  de  Vendome  and  de  Brionne  rode 
at  the  same  time  to  make  the  figure.  .  .  .  There  were  three 
^Le  Mercure,  1700.  ^The  wife  of  Monseigneur, 

393 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

courses  run  for  the  prize,  which  was  won  by  the  Prince  de 
Lorraine.  It  was  a  sword  ornamented  with  diamonds,  and 
he  received  it  from  the  hand  of  the  king.  After  the  tourna- 
ment all  the  cavaliers  conducted  the  king  to  the  courtyard  of 
the  chateau,  lance  in  hand,  and  the  heads  of  the  companies 
saluted  him  with  their  swords. 

"  On  the  5th,  a  second  tournament  was  held,  and  in  spite 
of  the  bad  weather,  the  king  found  it  more  beautiful  than  the 
first.  Many  ladies  were  present.  The  Russian  envoys,  who 
had  not  seen  the  previous  fete,  occupied  seats  at  the  king's 
right.  During  a  shower,  the  spectators  retired  quickly,  but 
as  soon  as  it  had  passed,  all  the  seats  were  filled  again.  The 
Marquis  de  Plumartin  won  the  prize.  It  was  a  sword  adorned 
with  diamonds,  but  more  costly  than  that  won  by  the  Prince 
de  Lorraine."  ^ 

*  Dangeau,  I. 


394 


XIV 

THE  CEREMONIES 

IN  1685  the  King  of  France  was  at  the  summit  of  his 
fortunes.  Victorious  in  two  wars,  he  had  annexed 
Franche-Comte,  Strasburg,  and  Luxemburg.  His 
navy  numbered  250  ships,  and  his  army  400,000  men. 
His  prestige  in  Europe  was  very  great.  Having  broken  faith 
in  the  last  war,  Genoa  had  suffered  a  furious  bombardment  by 
the  fleet  of  Duquesne.  But  the  Grand  Monarch  was  not  con- 
tent. He  demanded  that  the  Doge  of  Genoa  should  come  to 
Versailles  to  beg  pardon. 

RECEPTION  OF  THE  DOGE  OF  GENOA 

On  the  15th  of  May,  1685,  the  Doge  Lescari  and  four  sen- 
ators had  a  public  audience  with  the  king,  and  presented  the 
apologies  of  the  Republic  of  Genoa.  The  Mercure  furnishes 
the  best  account  of  that  ceremony : 

"  Having  ascended  the  magnificent  staircase  leading  to  the 
state  apartments  of  His  Majesty,  the  doge  and  the  senators 
passed  through  them  to  the  salon  of  War,  from  which  they 
entered  the  grand  gallery,  beyond  which  was  the  king,  in  the 
salon  of  Peace.  All  the  apartments  and  the  gallery  were  su- 
perbly furnished,  and  contained  silver  furniture  worth  many 
millions.  The  crowd  was  equally  great  throughout,  al- 
though these  apartments  and  the  gallery  can  hold  as  many 
people  as  the  largest  palace.  In  spite  of  the  efforts  taken  to 
keep  a  passage  free,  the  doge  had  much  difficulty  in  crossing 

395 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

the  gallery.  M.  le  Marechal  Due  de  Duras,  captain  of  the 
Body-Guards  on  duty,  accompanied  him  to  the  foot  of  the 
throne.  It  was  of  silver,  and  raised  only  two  steps  from  the 
floor.  Monseigneur  and  Monsieur  were  at  either  side  of  the 
king,  and  His  Majesty  was  surrounded  by  all  the  princes  of 
the  blood  and  the  great  officers  of  the  crown.  The  suite  of 
the  doge,  being  numerous,  did  not  approach  the  throne,  but 
remained  in  the  gallery.  The  doge,  when  he  saw  the  king, 
and  perceived  that  he  could  be  recognized,  uncovered.  Then 
advancing  some  steps,  he  made  two  profound  reverences  to 
His  Majesty,  and  at  the  same  time  the  senators  did  likewise. 
The  king  rose,  and  replied  to  these  reverences  by  slightly 
raising  his  hat;  after  which  he  made  a  sign  for  the  doge  to 
approach,  calling  him  with  his  hand.  The  doge  mounted 
the  first  step  of  the  throne,  where  he  made  a  third  reverence, 
as  did  the  four  senators  behind  him.  The  king  and  the  doge 
then  covered  themselves,  and  all  the  princes  put  on  their  hats 
likewise,  but  the  senators  remained  uncovered."  .  .  .  (On  ac- 
count of  its  length,  the  speech  of  the  doge  will  be  omitted.) 
"  Each  time  that  His  Majesty's  name  was  mentioned  in  the 
speech,  the  doge  and  the  king  uncovered,  and  all  the  princes 
uncovered  also;  and  this  occurred  a  number  of  times.  The 
king  replied  to  the  doge  that  '  he  was  satisfied  with  the  sub- 
mission made  by  the  Republic  of  Genoa;  that  he  was  sorry 
he  had  had  occasion  to  make  his  displeasure  break  out  against 
her,  but  that  he  was  happy  to  see  affairs  as  they  now  were,  be- 
cause he  believed  it  was  the  beginning  of  very  friendly  rela- 
tions ;  that  he  saw  in  it  the  promise  of  good  faith  on  the  part 
of  the  Republic  of  Genoa ;  and  since  he  had  a  high  esteem  for 
Genoa,  he  would  give  on  every  occasion  marks  of  the  return 
of  his  favor.'  In  regard  to  the  doge,  His  Majesty  spoke  of 
his  personal  merit  with  much  graciousness,  letting  him  know 
the  particular  esteem  in  which  he  held  him.  After  the 
response  of  the  king,  the  four  senators  paid  their  compliments, 

396 


The  Ceremonies 


each  in  turn,  and  His  Majesty  replied  to  each  very  graciously, 
and  especially  to  M.  Salvago,  who  had  lived  for  a  number  of 
years  in  France  as  envoy  of  Genoa. 

"  At  the  conclusion  of  the  audience,  the  king  saluted  the 
doge,  lowering  his  hat  more  than  he  had  when  His  Serenity 
arrived.  The  doge  and  the  senators  made  three  profound 
reverences  as  they  retired.  When  they  reentered  the  gallery, 
they  covered  themselves.  They  returned  in  the  same  order, 
finding  everywhere  such  a  crowd  that  they  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  reaching  the  apartment  where  tables  were  spread  for 
them.  All  the  court  and  all  the  people  who  filled  Versailles 
soon  learned  that  the  king  was  pleased  with  the  doge,  and  that 
the  doge  was  charmed  with  the  king's  manner  toward  him. 
Nothing  else  was  talked  of  throughout  the  day.  The  king,  at 
his  dinner,  spoke  very  highly  of  the  doge  in  the  presence  of 
the  court,  saying  that  he  had  found  him  well  bred  and  intel- 
lectual, without  any  embarrassment;  that  he  had  displayed 
courage  in  his  misfortune,  and  no  servility;  that  the  part  he 
had  had  to  perform  was  not  an  easy  one,  but  that  he  had  ac- 
quitted himself  in  a  manner  meriting  applause."  ^ 

RECEPTION   OF   THE  AMBASSADORS   OF   SIAM 

On  the  1st  of  September,  1686,  Louis  gave  audience  in  the 
gallery  of  Versailles  to  an  embassy  from  Siam.  Dangeau's 
account  of  the  ceremony  is  as  follows :  "  The  king  gave 
audience  to  the  ambassadors  of  Siam  upon  a  throne  raised  at 
the  end  of  the  gallery,  next  to  the  salon  of  Peace.  The  order 
was  beautiful ;  and  His  Majesty  congratulated  M.  d'Aumont, 
first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber.  The  ambassadors  spoke 
very  well.  The  Abbe  de  Lyonne  served  them  as  interpreter. 
They  remained  at  the  foot  of  the  throne,  until  the  moment 
when  they  presented  to  the  king  the  letter  of  their  master; 
they  mounted  then  to  the  top  step.     The  Siamese  showed 

'  The  Mercure,  1685. 

397 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

profound  respect,  and,  after  their  fashion,  went  to  the  end  of 
the  gallery  on  their  hands  and  knees,  not  wishing  to  turn 
their  backs  to  the  king.  There  were  three  ambassadors,  four 
noblemen,  and  two  secretaries;  the  rest  of  their  suite  were 
servants."  ^ 

The  Marquis  de  Sourches  gives  the  king's  costume  on  this 
occasion:  "His  Majesty  wore  a  coat  of  cloth  of  gold,  laced 
with  large  diamonds."  ^ 

THE  CEREMONY  OF  THE  WASHING  ON  HOLY  THURSDAY 

Each  year  on  Holy  Thursday  the  king  washed  the  feet  of  the 
poor  in  the  Grand  Hall  of  the  Guards  at  Versailles.  This  was 
a  part  of  the  ceremony  of  the  Lord's  Supper  (Cene). 

"  The  ceremony  at  present  observed  at  court  on  Holy 
Thursday  is  as  follows.  On  the  Wednesday  before,  during 
TenehrcB,  at  which  His  Majesty  assists,  one  of  the  almoners 
and  the  first  doctor  of  the  king,  followed  by  surgeons  and 
barbers,  go  to  a  place  where  a  large  number  of  poor  children 
have  been  assembled.  Out  of  the  number  they  choose  thir- 
teen, the  most  agreeable,  who  are  examined  by  the  first  doctor, 
surgeons,  and  barbers  of  the  king  to  see  if  they  are  healthy, 
to  make  sure  they  have  no  sores  on  their  bodies,  and  espe- 
cially on  their  legs  and  feet.  Being  found  in  proper  con- 
dition to  be  presented  on  the  following  day,  Holy  Thursday, 
before  the  king  for  the  ceremony  of  the  washing  of  feet,  the 
names  of  the  children  are  written  down  by  the  almoner,  who 
gives  the  list  to  the  treasurer  of  the  king's  alms  and  presents, 
and  the  treasurer  gives  the  orders  necessary  for  the  cere- 
mony which  belongs  to  his  office. 

"  On  Holy  Thursday,  at  six  in  the  morning,  the  thirteen 
children  are  brought  to  the  Quartermaster's  Department, 
where  the  barber  of  the  Grand  Commun  cuts  their  hair  and 
their  toe-nails.     The  officers  of  the  Quartermaster's  Depart- 

^  Dangeau.  ^  Memoirs,  H,  p.  i6l. 


The  Ceremonies 


ment  wash  their  feet  and  legs  with  warm,  perfumed  water. 
They  are  dressed  in  robes  of  red  cloth,  with  hoods  behind; 
their  feet  are  wrapped  up,  and  they  are  conducted  by  their 
fathers  and  mothers,  or  by  some  of  their  relatives,  into  the 
hall  where  the  ceremony  is  held,  and  are  seated  on  a  bench, 
with  their  backs  to  the  table  where  the  king  will  serve  them, 
and  their  faces  toward  the  pulpit,  where  the  grand  almoner, 
or  other  prelate  chosen  to  make  the  service  before  His 
Majesty,  gives  the  exhortation  on  the  subject  of  the  cere- 
mony. After  the  exhortation,  they  sing  the  Miserere,  at  the 
end  of  which  the  grand  almoner,  or  other  prelate,  gives  abso- 
lution. The  king  then  advances  toward  the  children,  kneels 
down,  washes  the  right  foot  of  the  first,  and  does  the  same  to 
the  others.  The  grand  almoner  of  France  holds  the  basin  of 
silver-gilt,  and  one  of  the  almoners  on  duty  holds  the  foot  of 
the  child  that  the  king  washes,  and  dries  it  after  him. 

"  When  the  ceremony  of  the  washing  is  over,  the  children 
are  brought  to  the  other  side  of  the  table,  where  they  are 
served  by  the  king,  each  one  receiving  thirteen  wooden 
plates  containing  meats,  fish,  and  vegetables,  and  a  little 
jug  of  wine.  All  the  meats  are  handed  to  His  Majesty  by 
the  princes  of  the  blood,  or  by  the  great  officers  who  accom- 
pany him.  The  first  mattre  d'hotel  walks  before  the  king 
with  his  baton  of  ceremony.  Behind  the  children  there  is  an 
almoner  on  duty,  who  takes  the  plates  as  soon  as  the  king 
places  them  on  the  table,  and  who  puts  them  into  the  baskets 
held  by  the  parents  of  the  children,  to  whom  the  plates  belong. 
About  the  neck  of  each  child  the  king  hangs  a  purse  of  red 
leather  containing  thirteen  crowns.  The  treasurer  of  his 
alms  presents  the  purses  to  His  Majesty. 

"  The  ceremony  being  finished,  the  king  goes  to  mass  with 
a  grand  train  of  princes,  lords,  and  officers  of  the  court,  and  at 
the  end,  with  a  wax  taper  in  his  hand,  and  followed  by  the 
same  retinue,  he  accompanies  the  Holy  Sacrament  from  the 


399 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

altar  to  the  oratory  prepared  for  him,  where  he  makes  his 
devotions."  ^ 

THE  CEREMONY  OF  TOUCHING  FOR  THE  KING'S  EVIL 

At  Easter,  Whitsunday,  All  Saints',  and  Christmas,  the  king 
touched  persons  afflicted  with  scrofula.  On  the  i6th  of  May, 
1698,  the  eve  of  Whitsunday,  he  touched  3000.  The  cere- 
mony was  as  follows.  The  sick,  coming  from  all  parts,  some 
even  from  Spain,  were  arranged  by  officers  of  the  king's 
Household,  sometimes  near  the  chapel,  sometimes  in  other 
places,  as  in  1675  when  the  king  touched  the  sick  in  the 
Orangery  at  Versailles.  Kneeling  in  lines,  with  hands  joined, 
they  implored  the  aid  of  God.  After  mass  His  Majesty  came, 
accompanied  by  his  grand  almoner.  The  doctors  and  sur- 
geons were  behind  the  sick,  and  held  the  head  of  each,  that 
the  king  might  touch  it  more  easily.  Standing  before  each 
sick  person.  His  Majesty  passed  his  hand  across  the  forehead 
from  ear  to  ear,  saying,  "  The  king  touches  thee,  God  cures 
thee  " ;  and  giving  to  each  his  benediction  by  the  sign  of  the 
cross.  To  each  one  the  grand  almoner  gave  alms — 5  sous  to 
foreigners,  2  sous  to  the  French.  The  first  mditre  d'hotel 
carried  a  basin  of  wine  and  water  for  the  king  to  wash  his 
hands  at  the  end  of  the  ceremony. 

OTHER  CEREMONIES 

The  ceremony  of  the  Order  of  St.  Esprit  was  held  at  New 
Year's,  at  Candlemas,  and  at  Easter.  The  chevaliers  of  the 
order,  In  gala  costume,  marched  in  procession  in  the  court; 
a  chapter  was  held;  and  finally  all  were  present  at  a  grand 
mass  in  the  chapel. 

The  procession  each  year  at  Corpus  Christi  was  of  great 
magnificence.     The  courtyards  of  the  chateau  were  hung  with 
*  Du  Peyrat,  Histoire  Ecclesiastique  de  la  Cour,  p.  774. 
400 


The  Ceremonies 


the  finest  tapestries  of  the  crown,  and  were  adorned  with 
orange-trees,  at  first  in  tubs  of  silver,  and  later  in  tubs  of 
gilded  wood.  The  procession,  leaving  the  court  of  the  minis- 
ters, traversed  the  Place  d'Armes  on  its  way  to  the  parish 
church  of  Versailles.  The  king,  with  uncovered  head,  fol- 
lowed on  foot,  accompanied  by  more  than  a  thousand  pages 
of  the  Chamber,  of  the  Great  and  Little  Stables,  and  by  Cent- 
Suisses  and  Body-Guards,  all  bearing  tapers  of  white  wax. 
His  Majesty  was  followed  by  all  the  almoners  of  his  House- 
hold, by  the  priests  of  the  Mission,  and  by  all  the  court.  After 
hearing  mass  at  the  parish  church,  the  king  returned  to  the 
chateau  in  a  carriage. 

RECEPTION   OF  THE  AMBASSADOR   OF   PERSIA 

On  the  19th  of  February,  17 15,  the  king  received  a  Persian 
ambassador  at  Versailles.  Both  Dangeau  and  Saint-Simon 
have  doubts  about  this  ambassador.  Dangeau  says, 
"  Neither  he  nor  his  suite  merited  much  attention " ;  while 
Saint-Simon  declares  him  to  be  "  a  sham  Persian  ambassador 
whom  Pontchartrain  had  imposed  on  the  king."  The  matter 
has  never  been  cleared  up.  One  version  is  that  a  high  Persian 
official  had  sent  a  merchant  to  Paris  to  conclude  some  business 
negotiations,  and  that  Pontchartrain  made  use  of  this  mer- 
chant to  cheer  the  aged  and  fast-failing  king  by  the  idea  that 
the  days  of  his  apotheosis  had  come  again,  that  Persia,  filled 
with  admiration  for  his  glory,  had  sent  him  an  embassy.  If 
so,  it  was  a  cruel  trick,  and  frightful  irony,  to  make  an  old 
man  who  had  once  been  the  terror  of  Europe,  and  who  had 
preserved  his  prestige  through  misfortune,  put  on  his  gold 
coat  and  mount  his  throne  to  receive  a  sham. 

"  The  king,"  says  Dangeau,  "  rose  at  his  usual  hour.  He 
put  on  a  coat  of  cloth  of  gold  and  black  velvet,  trimmed  with 
diamonds   worth    12,500,000   livres,   and   this   coat  was  so 

26  401 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

heavy  that  the  king  changed  it  immediately  after  dinner. 
Besides  the  jewels  he  had  on  him,  the  king  had  given  a  set  of 
diamonds  and  pearls  to  the  Due  du  Maine,  and  a  set  of  colored 
stones  to  the  Comte  de  Toulouse.  The  Due  d'Orleans  had  a 
coat  of  blue  velvet,  embroidered  with  pearls  and  diamonds, 
which  was  much  admired.  The  Persian  ambassador  did  not 
arrive  until  eleven  o'clock.  A  little  before  the  ambassador 
came,  the  king  appeared  upon  the  balcony  of  his  chamber, 
and  the  people  who  filled  the  courtyard  shouted,  '  Vive  le 
Roi! '  I  think  I  never  heard  them  shout  with  more  enthu- 
siasm. The  shouts  came  from  all  the  courtyards,  and  even 
from  the  Avenue  de  Paris,  which  was  filled  with  the  crowd  as 
far  as  the  house  of  Bontemps,  where  the  ambassador  alighted 
from  his  carriage  and  mounted  a  horse.  Neither  he  nor  his 
suite  merited  much  attention.  They  entered  the  courtyard 
of  the  chateau,  and  alighted  at  the  apartment  of  the  Due  de 
Guiche.  While  they  were  entering,  the  king  passed  into  the 
gallery,  where  on  one  side  there  were  raised  seats,  filled  with 
more  than  four  hundred  ladies,  magnificently  attired.  The 
ladies  of  the  court  were  nearest  to  the  throne ;  the  ladies  from 
Paris,  more  toward  the  end  of  the  gallery.  The  king,  in  en- 
tering, had  the  politeness  to  pass  close  to  the  seats  that  the 
ladies  might  see  his  magnificence  to  advantage.  He  mounted 
his  throne,  where  at  his  right  side  was  Mgr.  le  Dauphin,^  in  a 
dress  and  cap  covered  with  jewels;  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de 
Ventadour  held  him  by  the  leading-strings.  At  the  king's 
left  was  Mgr.  le  Due  d'Orleans,  and  to  the  right  and  left  all 
the  princes  of  the  blood,  according  to  their  rank.  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  Madame,  and  all  the  princesses  of  the 
blood,  with  their  ladies,  were  there  also.  Upon  the  steps  of 
the  throne,  behind  the  princes  of  the  blood,  were  the  four  first 

^  Louis  of  France,  Due  d'Anjou,     years  old.     On  September  I,  1715, 
son  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse   de     he  became  Louis  XV. 
Bourgogne.       He     was     then     five 

402 


The  Ceremonies 


gentlemen  of  the  Chamber  and  the  two  masters  of  the  Ward- 
robe. The  gallery  was  filled  with  courtiers  richly  dressed, 
and  with  many  strangers.    The  audience  was  long."  ^ 

On  the  13th  of  August  the  king  gave  a  farewell  audience 
to  the  same  ambassador.  "  On  Tuesday,  the  13th  of  August 
(171 5),"  says  Saint-Simon,  "he  made  a  violent  effort,  and 
gave  a  farewell  audience  to  a  sham  Persian  ambassador  whom 
Pontchartrain  had  imposed  upon  him ;  this  was  the  last  pub- 
lic action  of  his  life.  The  audience,  which  was  long,  fatigued 
the  king.  He  resisted  the  desire  for  sleep  which  came  over 
him,  held  the  Finance  Council,  dined,  had  himself  carried  in 
his  sedan-chair  to  the  apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon, 
where  a  little  concert  was  given.  On  leaving  his  cabinet,  he 
stopped  for  the  Duchesse  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  who  presented 
to  him  the  Duchesse  de  la  Rocheguyon,  her  daughter-in-law, 
who  was  the  last  lady  presented  to  him.  She  took  her 
tabouret  that  evening  at  the  king's  grand  supper,  which  was 
the  last  he  ever  gave."  ^ 

^Dangeau.  *  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  345. 


403 


XV 
THE  THEATER 

NOTWITHSTANDING  the  fact  that  theatrical 
performances  were  given  at  the  court  nearly  every 
week,  there  was  no  regular  theater  in  the  chateau 
during  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  The  opera-house 
of  Versailles  was  constructed  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XV,  and 
was  opened  for  the  first  time  in  1770,  at  the  marriage  of  the 
dauphin  and  the  Archduchess  Marie  Antoinette. 

Under  Louis  XIV,  performances  were  given  usually  in 
temporary  theaters,  erected  in  various  apartments  of  the 
palace.  Sometimes  there  were  open-air  performances  in  the 
marble  courtyard,  in  the  gardens,  or  at  the  Great  Stables,  and 
in  the  last  years  of  the  reign  a  hall  of  comedy  was  con- 
structed on  the  ground  floor,  between  the  south  wing  and  the 
central  portion  of  the  chateau,  where  the  vestibule  of  the 
court  of  the  Princes  is  at  the  present  time.  Temporary 
theaters  were  also  constructed  at  Trianon  and  at  Marly. 

There  were  two  companies  of  players,  one  French,  the 
other  Italian.  Of  the  latter  the  greatest  actor  was  Bian- 
colelli,  who  died  in  1688.  In  1697  the  king  sent  the  Italian 
comedians  back  to  Italy;  he  found  their  plays  too  free,  and, 
moreover,  they  had  dared  to  satirize  Madame  de  Maintenon. 
The  French  comedians  had  a  narrow  escape  in  1703.  They 
had  played  a  coarse  piece  before  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 
and  the  king  informed  them  that  if  they  repeated  the  fault  he 
would  drive  them  away  at  once. 

404 


The  Theater 

"In  the  month  of  July,  1682,"  says  the  Mercure,  "the 
riding-school  of  the  Great  Stables  was  transformed  into  a 
theater  for  the  performance  of  one  of  the  best  operas  of  Lulli. 
The  king  wished  to  see  the  new  opera  Persee,  of  which  Quin- 
ault  had  written  the  words,  and  Lulli  the  music.  It  was  de- 
cided to  prepare  a  theater  in  the  marble  court.  The  weather, 
which  had  been  bad  for  some  days,  suddenly  became  fine,  and 
they  profited  by  that  to  work  actively  at  the  theater;  but  on 
the  day  set  for  the  performance,  it  rained  hard.  The  king 
ordered  a  postponement  of  the  spectacle,  but  the  organizers  of 
the  fete,  seeing  that  the  king  was  annoyed,  promised  him  that 
another  theater  would  be  ready  that  same  evening  in  the  rid- 
ing-school of  the  Great  Stables.  In  short,  at  eight  o'clock, 
the  riding-school,  in  which  at  noon  they  had  been  exercising 
horses,  was  transformed  into  a  glittering  theater.  Orchestra, 
dais  for  the  king,  tribunes  for  the  spectators,  nothing  was 
lacking.  At  the  sides  of  the  stage  rose  a  veritable  forest  of 
orange-trees  and  trees  of  all  kinds,  and  an  immense  number 
of  lusters  and  candelabra  furnished  the  illumination.  The 
opera  was  perfectly  executed;  and  the  king,  charmed  with 
the  music,  said  to  Lulli  that  he  had  never  heard  anything 
of  the  sort  which  pleased  him  more.  He  complimented 
also  Mile.  La  Rochois,  the  celebrated  singer,  and  Pecourt,  the 
dancer."  ^ 

On  other  occasions  operas  were  given  in  the  riding-school 
of  the  Great  Stables.  On  the  8th  of  January,  1685,  they  pro- 
duced for  the  first  time  the  opera  Roland  (Quinault  and 
Lulli).  The  king  went  at  six  o'clock,  and  did  not  leave  until 
ten.  Having  returned  to  the  chateau,  he  gave  a  supper  in  his 
apartments  to  the  royal  family  and  to  some  ladies.  Roland 
was  produced  five  times.  On  the  5th  of  March  of  the  same 
year,  the  opera  Armide  (Quinault  and  Lulli)  was  given  in  the 
riding-school.  The  king  had  not  yet  seen  it,  because  the  first 
*Le  Mercure  Galant,  1682. 

405 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

performance  had  taken  place  in  1683,  the  year  of  the  queen's 
death.     He  found  the  opera  very  beautiful. 

Comedies,  operas,  and  ballets  were  given  very  frequently 
at  Trianon  and  at  Marly.  Dangeau  mentions  the  ballet  given 
at  Trianon  in  February,  1689 :  "  On  the  7th  of  February,  at 
three  in  the  afternoon,  the  king,  Monseigneur,  and  the 
princesses  went  to  Trianon.  The  King  and  Queen  of  Eng- 
land arrived  shortly  after.  The  two  kings  talked  together, 
and  the  queen  played  cards  with  Monsieur  against  Mmes.  de 
Ventadour  and  d'Epinoy.  Mme.  la  Dauphine  arrived  at  half- 
past  five,  and  they  entered  at  an  early  hour  into  the  hall  of  the 
ballet.  The  Queen  of  England  was  seated  between  the  two 
kings  in  the  tribune.  Mmes.  de  Sussex,  de  Baucley,  and  de 
Montecuculli  were  there  also  with  Madame  de  Maintenon." 
On  the  1 6th  of  February,  1689,  the  opera  Thetis  et  Pelee  was 
given  at  Trianon.  The  king  and  the  dauphine  were  de- 
lighted with  the  music,  and  complimented  the  author,  Colasse. 
The  operas  Atys  (Quinault  and  Lulli)  and  Enee  et  Lavinie 
(Fontenelle  and  Colasse)  were  performed  more  than  once  at 
Trianon,  and  during  the  fetes  at  the  marriage  of  the  Due  de 
Bourgogne,  in  1697,  Destouches's  opera  Isse  was  given  there. 
"The  17th  of  December  (1697),"  says  Dangeau,  "the  king 
left  Versailles  at  four  o'clock  to  go  to  Trianon.  He  had  in 
his  carriage  Mgr.  le  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  Mme.  la  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne.  At  Trianon  all  the  court  gambled  until  the 
arrival  of  the  King  and  Queen  of  England.  When  they  came, 
the  king  took  them  to  the  theater.  When  all  were  seated,  a 
magnificent  collation  was  served.  Then  the  opera  com- 
menced; it  was  Isse,  with  which  the  king  was  well  pleased. 
The  spectacle  was  very  beautiful." 

At  Marly,  on  the  21st  of  August,  1685,  before  supper,  the 
Sicilien  of  Moliere  was  given  in  a  temporary  theater.  On 
the  4th  of  September,  1689,  in  the  salon  of  Marly,  the  com- 
edy-ballet of  the  Bourgeois  Gentilhomme  was  performed. 

406 


The  Theater 


The  king  was  seated  in  the  balcony,  which  surrounded  the 
salon.  Concerts  became  fashionable  in  1700  at  Marly  as  at 
Versailles. 

In  theatrical  matters,  as  in  everything  else,  Madame  de 
Maintenon  took  a  hand.  In  1688  she  ordered  Racine  to 
write  a  tragedy  for  St.  Cyr.  At  a  conference  between  the 
king  and  herself  and  Racine  on  the  i8th  of  February,  the  sub- 
ject chosen  was  Esther  and  Ahasuerus.  Racine  set  to  work, 
and  later  read  his  piece,  act  by  act,  to  Madame  de  Maintenon 
and  the  king.  The  tragedy  was  to  be  acted  by  the  girls  of 
St.  Cyr.  Two  private  performances  were  given  in  the  apart- 
ments of  Madame  de  Maintenon ;  and  finally,  on  the  26th  of 
January,  1689,  ^^^  ^he  court  went  to  St.  Cyr  to  witness  the 
first  representation.  In  Esther  allusions  to  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon abounded ;  her  elevation,  her  power,  were  plainly  indi- 
cated, and  escaped  no  one.  The  court  could  read  between  the 
lines.  The  piece  had  a  great  success.  After  Esther,  they 
played  Athalie  at  St.  Cyr.  Later  came  Jonathan,  the  author 
of  which  was  Duche.  The  young  actresses  of  St.  Cyr  were 
sometimes  brought  in  the  king's  carriages  to  Versailles  to  re- 
cite the  beautiful  verses  of  Racine  to  His  Majesty,  always  in 
the  apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon. 

With  the  coming  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  the  grand 
cabinet  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  became  a  theater.  The 
young  duchess  was  fond  of  acting,  and  it  suited  Madame  de 
Maintenon  exactly  to  have  private  performances  in  her  apart- 
ments, where  she  could  regulate  the  number  of  spectators, 
have  the  king  constantly  at  hand  and  pleasantly  entertained, 
and  all  dangerous  people  shut  out.  On  the  12th  of  January, 
1697,  Esther  was  given,  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  taking 
the  role  of  a  little  Israelite.  On  the  6th  of  December  of  the 
following  year  there  was  a  little  play  in  which  the  Due  de 
Bourgogne  represented  Apollo,  and  the  duchess  and  her  ladies 
the  nine  Muses.     At  Fontainebleau,  in  the  apartments  of 


407 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Madame  de  Maintenon,  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 
the  Duchesse  de  Guiche,  Mme.  d'Heudicourt,  and  some  others, 
gave  Les  Plaideurs  before  the  king.  In  1699,  in  the  grand 
cabinet  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  at  Versailles,  they  gave 
Les  Precieuses  Ridicules.  "  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne, M.  le  Due  d' Orleans,  the  Comte  and  Comtesse  d'Ayen, 
the  young  Comte  de  Noailles,  and  Mile,  de  Melun  took  the 
principal  parts,  in  magnificent  costumes.  The  old  Baron,  an 
excellent  actor,  trained  them  and  played  with  them,  and  some 
servants  of  M.  de  Noailles.  There  were  but  forty  spectators 
—  the  king,  Madame  de  Maintenon,  Monseigneur,  the  two 
princes  his  sons,  Mme.  la  Princesse  de  Conti,  M.  du  Maine, 
Madame  de  Noailles,  and  some  ladies  of  the  palace;  only  two 
or  three  courtiers.  Madame  de  Maintenon  made  an  invita- 
tion to  these  spectacles  a  favor  much  prized."  ^ 

The  death  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  in  17 12,  brought 
these  diversions  to  an  end.  But  the  king,  sad  and  serious, 
was  then  more  than  ever  at  the  apartments  of  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  where  nothing  could  fill  the  void  left  by  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  charming  dauphine.  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon organized  a  new  theater,  with  the  king's  musicians  as 
the  actors,  to  give  the  plays  of  Moliere.  He  was  always 
Louis's  favorite;  with  him  the  pleasures  of  the  reign  had 
been  inaugurated,  with  him  they  were  to  close.  The  king, 
accustomed  to  the  acting  of  Moliere  himself,  could  not  en- 
dure the  players  of  the  Comedie  Frangaise,  who  had  lost  the 
tradition,  and  interpreted  their  roles  badly,  so  badly  at  Fon- 
tainebleau  in  1700,  in  L'Avare,  that  His  Majesty  rose  and 
went  out.  In  1712  Louis  himself  gave  to  his  musicians  the 
manner  and  gestures  of  Moliere.  They  played  the  Bour- 
geois Gentilhomme,  to  the  king's  satisfaction,  on  the  21st 
of  December  at  Versailles,  in  the  grand  cabinet  of  Madame  de 
Maintenon.     This  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  performances, 

^  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  340. 
408 


Jean  Baptiste  Poquelin.  Moliere 


The  Theater 

a  revival  of  Moliere,  extending  through  the  last  three  years 
of  the  king's  life.  In  17 13  they  gave,  at  Versailles,  the 
Bourgeois  Gentilhomme  in  January;  in  February,  George 
Dandin;  in  March,  L'Avare;  at  Marly,  in  August,  Le 
Medecin  Malgre  Lui.  In  1714,  at  Versailles,  in  January  and 
February,  Le  Bourgeois  Gentilhomme;  at  Fontainebleau,  in 
September,  L'Avare,  Les  Fdcheux,  Le  Mariage  Force,  and 
in  October,  L'Etourdi  and  L'Ecole  des  Maris.  In  171 5,  at 
Versailles,  in  January,  M.  de  Pourceaugnac;  in  March,  Le 
Medecin  Malgre  Lui;  at  Marly,  in  May,  George  Dandin;  in 
June,  Le  Medecin  Malgre  Lui  and  L'Ecole  des  Maris;  in 
July,  Le  Mariage  Force.  Le  Mariage  Force,  on  the  12th  of 
July,  171 5,  was  the  last  play  seen  by  Louis  XIV. 


409 


XVI 

THE  SEAMY  SIDE 

ji  MID  the  magnificence  of  Versailles  there  was  much 
I\        discomfort.     In  winter  people  froze  in  those  vast 

/  %  salons  of  marble  and  gold.  The  blazing  logs  in 
Ji  j^  the  fireplaces  were  not  sufficient  to  warm  them, 
and  there  was  no  means  at  all  of  heating  the  grand  gallery. 
On  the  5th  of  March,  1695,  the  Palatine  wrote:  "It  is  so 
cold  here  that  at  the  king's  table  wine  as  well  as  water  froze 
in  the  glasses."  In  the  terrible  winter  of  1709  Saint-Simon 
states  that  "  the  violence  of  the  cold  was  such  that  the  strong- 
est elixirs  and  the  most  spirituous  liquors  broke  their  bottles 
in  cupboards  of  rooms  with  fires  in  them,  in  several  parts  of 
the  Chateau  of  Versailles.  As  I  was  supping  one  evening 
with  the  Due  de  Villeroi,  I  saw  bottles  that  had  come  from  a 
well-heated  kitchen,  and  that  had  been  put  on  the  chimney- 
piece  of  this  room,  so  frozen  that  pieces  of  ice  fell  into  our 
glasses  as  we  poured  from  them."  The  king  himself  caught 
cold  in  changing  his  wig  in  his  inner  cabinet.  Madame  de 
Maintenon  had  a  large  arm-chair  with  a  high  back,  top,  and 
sides,  to  shield  her  from  drafts,  and  in  which  she  sat  as  in  a 
sentry-box. 

For  the  courtiers  the  fatigue  of  standing  continually  has 
already  been  mentioned.  To  ride  in  the  king's  carriage  on 
the  court  journeys  did  not  always  bring  joy.  "  When  the 
king  traveled,  his  coach  was  always  full  of  women  —  his 
daughters,   his   daughters-in-law,   sometimes   Madame,   and 

410 


The  Seamy  Side 


other  ladies  when  there  was  room.  In  the  coach  during  his 
journeys  there  were  always  all  sorts  of  things  to  eat,  as  meat, 
pastry,  fruit.  A  quarter  of  a  league  was  not  passed  over  be- 
fore the  king  asked  if  somebody  would  not  eat.  He  never  ate 
anything  between  meals  himself,  not  even  fruit,  but  he  was 
pleased  by  seeing  others  do  so.  You  were  obliged  to  be 
hungry,  merry,  and  to  eat  with  appetite;  and  yet  after  this, 
if  you  supped  with  him  at  table  the  same  day,  you  were  com- 
pelled to  eat  with  as  good  a  countenance  as  though  you  had 
tasted  nothing  since  the  previous  night.  He  was  as  incon- 
siderate in  other  and  more  delicate  matters ;  and  ladies,  in  his 
long  drives  and  stations,  had  often  occasion  to  curse  him. 
The  Duchesse  de  Chevreuse  once  rode  all  the  way  from  Ver- 
sailles to  Fontainebleau  in  such  extremity  that  several  times 
she  was  well-nigh  losing  consciousness.  The  king,  who  was 
fond  of  air,  liked  all  the  windows  of  the  coach  to  be  lowered. 
He  would  have  been  much  displeased  had  any  lady  drawn  a 
curtain  for  protection  against  sun,  wind,  or  cold.  No  incon- 
venience or  incommodity  was  allowed  to  be  even  perceived; 
and  the  king  always  went  very  quickly,  most  frequently  with 
relays.  To  faint  was  a  fault  past  hope  of  pardon."  ^  Ma- 
dame herself  mentions  the  inconvenience  she  experienced 
when  driving  with  the  king :  "1  have  seen  in  traveling  such 
clouds  of  dust  that  we  could  hardly  see  each  other  in  the 
coach,  and  yet  the  king  never  ordered  the  horsemen  to  keep 
back." 

The  king  had  a  spy  system,  both  at  Versailles  and  Marly, 
that  was  mean  and  petty,  but  by  means  of  it  he  received  in- 
formation about  the  doings  of  his  courtiers  which  appalled 
them.  It  gave  him  a  mysterious  omniscience.  They  chafed 
under  a  surveillance  which  they  suspected  and  could  not  see. 
The  opening  of  letters  at  the  post-office  was  a  worse  evil. 
"The   promptitude   and   dexterity   with   which   they    were 

^  Saint-Simon,  III,  p.  i6. 
411 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

opened  passes  understanding.  The  king  saw  extracts  from 
all  the  letters  in  which  there  were  passages  that  the  chiefs  of 
the  post-office,  and  the  minister  who  governed  it,  thought 
ought  to  go  before  him.  Thus  the  chiefs  of  the  post,  nay, 
the  principal  clerks,  were  in  a  position  to  suppose  what  they 
pleased  and  against  whom  they  pleased.  A  word  of  contempt 
against  the  king  or  the  government  was  enough.  Many  peo- 
ple, justly  or  unjustly,  were  more  or  less  ruined,  and  always 
without  resource.  The  secret  was  impenetrable."  ^  In  the 
face  of  such  a  condition  of  abuse  of  power,  one  can  under- 
stand the  remark  of  the  Palatine :  "  Since  the  time  of  the 
king  it  has  not  been  the  custom  for  ladies  to  talk  of  the 
affairs  of  state." 

At  Versailles,  in  spite  of  the  polish,  the  dignity,  and  the  re- 
finement of  manners,  there  was  coarseness,  and  human  nature 
broke  loose  at  times  from  beneath  the  weight  of  etiquette,  and 
found  relief  in  horse-play.  Take  the  case  of  Madame  Pan- 
ache. "  She  was  a  little  and  very  old  creature,  with  lips  and 
eyes  so  disfigured  that  they  were  painful  to  look  upon;  a 
species  of  beggar  who  had  obtained  a  footing  at  court  from 
being  half-witted,  who  was  now  at  the  supper  of  the  king, 
now  at  the  dinner  of  Monseigneur,  or  at  other  places,  where 
everybody  amused  themselves  by  tormenting  her.  She  in 
turn  abused  the  company,  in  order  to  cause  diversion,  but 
sometimes  rated  them  very  seriously  and  with  strong  words, 
which  delighted  still  more.  Some  gave  her  a  pistole  or  a 
crown,  and  others  a  fillip  or  a  smack  in  the  face,  which  put  her 
in  fury,  because  with  her  bleared  eyes,  not  being  able  to  see  to 
the  end  of  her  nose,  she  could  not  tell  who  struck  her.  She 
was,  in  a  word,  the  pastime  of  the  court."  ^  The  Princesse 
d'Harcourt  was  another  of  the  same  type.  "  The  Due  and 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  continually  played  off  pranks  upon 
her.     They  put,  one  day,  fire-crackers  all  along  the  avenue  at 

'  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  365.  '  Idem,  I,  p.  98. 

412 


The  Seamy  Side 


Marly  that  led  to  the  Perspective,  where  she  lodged.  She 
was  horribly  afraid  of  everything.  The  duke  and  duchess 
bribed  two  porters  to  be  ready  to  take  her  into  the  mischief. 
When  she  was  right  in  the  middle  of  the  avenue,  the  crackers 
began  to  go  off,  and  she  to  cry  aloud  for  mercy ;  the  chairmen 
set  her  down  and  ran.  There  she  was,  struggling  in  her 
chair,  furiously  enough  to  upset  it,  and  yelling  like  a  demon. 
At  this  the  company,  that  had  gathered  at  the  door  of  the 
chateau  to  see  the  fun,  ran  to  her  assistance,  in  order  to  have 
the  pleasure  of  enjoying  the  scene  more  fully.  Thereupon 
she  set  to  abusing  everybody  right  and  left,  commencing  with 
the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne.  At  another  time  M.  de 
Bourgogne  put  a  cracker  under  her  chair  in  the  salon,  where 
she  was  playing  piquet.  As  he  was  about  to  set  fire  to  it, 
some  charitable  soul  warned  him  that  it  would  maim  her, 
and  he  desisted.  Sometimes,  and  these  scenes  were  always  at 
Marly,  they  sent  about  twenty  Swiss  guards  with  drums  into 
her  chamber,  who  roused  her  from  her  first  sleep  by  their 
horrid  din.  Once  they  waited  until  very  late  for  her  to  go 
to  bed  and  to  sleep.  She  lodged  not  far  from  the  post  of  the 
captain  of  the  Guards,  who  was  at  that  time  the  Marechal  de 
Lorges.  It  had  snowed  very  hard  and  had  frozen.  Madame 
de  Bourgogne  and  her  suite  gathered  snow  from  the  terrace 
which  was  on  a  level  with  their  lodgings,  and  in  order  to  be 
better  supplied,  waked  up  to  assist  them  the  marechal's  peo- 
ple, who  did  not  let  them  lack  ammunition.  Then,  with  a 
false  key  and  lights,  they  slipped  gently  into  the  chamber  of 
the  Princesse  d'Harcourt ;  and  suddenly  drawing  the  curtains 
of  her  bed,  pelted  her  amain  with  snowballs.  Waking  up  with 
a  start,  bruised  and  stifled  in  snow,  with  which  even  her  ears 
were  filled,  with  disheveled  hair,  yelling  at  the  top  of  her 
voice,  and  wriggling  like  an  eel,  without  knowing  where  to 
hide,  she  formed  a  spectacle  that  diverted  people  for  more 
than  half  an  hour ;  so  that  at  last  the  nymph  swam  in  her  bed, 


413 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

from  which  the  water  flowed  everywhere,  slushing  all  the 
chamber.  It  was  enough  to  make  one  die  of  laughter.  On 
the  morrow  she  sulked,  and  was  more  than  ever  laughed  at 
for  her  pains."  ^  Owing  to  her  character  and  temper  and  her 
disgusting  manners,  no  one  had  any  respect  for  the  Princesse 
d'Harcourt,  and  such  scenes  were,  therefore,  possible. 

There  was  less  wit  and  agreeable  conversation  in  the  court 
of  Versailles  than  there  had  been  previously  in  that  of  St. 
Germain.  The  Palatine  tells  us  that  sometimes  at  the  king's 
supper,  although  there  were  twenty  or  thirty  ladies  at  table, 
hardly  any  one  said  a  word,  unless  His  Majesty  addressed  a 
remark  to  a  particular  individual.  They  were  afraid  of  com- 
promising themselves.  The  rigidity  of  etiquette  and  the  pas- 
sion for  gambling  at  the  court  assemblies  had  also  made  sad 
inroads  on  wit  and  conversation.  The  king  perceived  the 
change.  He  tried  to  revive  the  polished  and  witty  assemblies 
of  Anne  of  Austria,  and  held  a  special  assembly  at  Fontaine- 
bleau  on  the  24th  of  September,  1707,  "  It  was  magnificent,'* 
says  the  Mercure,  "  and  all  the  princesses  and  the  ladies  were 
covered  with  jewels.  Nowhere  could  more  jewels  be  seen 
together."  But  the  assembly  failed  to  fulfil  the  object. 
There  were  more  jewels  than  wit,  and  it  was  necessary  to  re- 
turn to  the  appartement  and  to  play. 

And  finally,  in  the  bad  years  of  the  War  of  the  Spanish 
Succession,  disaster  knocked  at  the  door.  Saint-Simon  has 
painted  the  anxiety  when  Lille  was  besieged :  "  The  agitation 
was  extreme.  The  king  demanded  news  of  the  siege  of  his 
courtiers,  and  could  not  understand  why  no  couriers  arrived. 
It  was  generally  expected  that  some  decisive  battle  had  been 
fought.  Each  day  increased  the  uneasiness.  The  princes 
and  the  principal  noblemen  of  the  court  were  with  the  army. 
Every  one  at  Versailles  feared  for  the  safety  of  a  relative  or 
friend.     Prayers  were  offered  everywhere.     Mme.  la  Duch- 

'  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  257. 
414 


The  Seamy  Side 


esse  de  Bourgogne  passed  whole  nights  in  the  chapel,  when 
people  thought  her  in  bed,  and  drove  her  women  to  despair. 
Following  her  example,  ladies  who  had  husbands  at  the  army- 
stirred  not  from  the  churches.  Gaming,  conversation  ceased. 
Fear  was  painted  upon  every  face,  and  perceived  in  every 
speech,  without  shame.  If  a  horse  passed  a  little  quickly, 
everybody  ran  without  knowing  where.  The  apartments  of 
Chamillart  were  crowded  with  lackeys,  even  into  the  street, 
sent  by  people  desiring  to  be  informed  of  the  moment  that  a 
courier  arrived ;  and  this  terror  and  uncertainty  lasted  nearly 
a  month." 

Thus  at  Versailles  people  were  not  always  well  bred,  wit 
did  not  always  sparkle,  cold  and  care  could  not  always  be  kept 
out. 


415 


XVII 
THE  COURT  AND  PARIS 

ON  no  road  in  France  was  there  so  much  travel  as  on 
k  that  between  Paris  and  Versailles;  on  no  other 
i  highway  in  Europe  could  so  many  splendid 
equipages  be  seen.  The  king,  however,  went 
seldom  to  his  capital.  We  find  him  there  on  the  30th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1687,  having  gone  to  see  the  statue  erected  to  him  by 
the  Due  de  la  Feuillade.  "  His  Majesty  went  to  mass  at  Notre 
Dame,"  says  Dangeau,  "  and  did  not  wish  to  have  soldiers  on 
line  in  the  streets,  in  order  that  the  people  might  move  about 
more  freely.  Troops  were  placed  only  at  Notre  Dame  and  at 
the  Hotel  de  Ville,  so  that  the  carriages  could  approach  with- 
out confusion.  From  Notre  Dame  the  king  went  to  the  Hotel 
de  Ville,  where  they  gave  him  a  magnificent  dinner;  there 
were  fifty-five  covers.  All  the  princes  of  the  blood,  the 
king's  children,  and  the  ladies  who  accompanied  him,  dined 
with  the  king.  The  prevot  des  marchands  served  the  king  at 
table;  his  wife  served  Mme.  la  Dauphine.  Never  before 
had  the  king  dined  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville.  The  people  of 
Paris  displayed  the  greatest  joy  at  seeing  the  king.  All  the 
shops  were  closed ;  fountains  of  wine  ran,  and  there  were  il- 
luminations at  night.  On  leaving  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  the 
king  went  to  the  Place  des  Victoires,  where  he  alighted  from 
his  carriage,  and  examined  the  statue  erected  by  M.  de  la 
Feuillade.^     Then  he  drove  to  the  Tuileries.     Mme.  la  Dau- 

^  M.   de  la  Feuillade  was  an  ar-  king  prohibited  this,  remarking  that 

rant     sycophant.      He     surrounded  lamps  of  that  sort  should  be  only 

this    statue    with    lamps    which    he  in  churches, 
wished    to    burn    all    night.      The 

416 


X 


The  Court  and  Paris 


phine  accompanied  him,  and  from  the  balcony  threw  money 
to  the  people." 

In  1 70 1  Louis  XIV  was  at  Paris  on  three  occasions.  On 
the  19th  of  May  of  that  year  he  visited  the  church  of  Les 
Invalides ;  on  the  14th  of  July  he  returned  to  inspect  the  es- 
tablishment ;  and  on  the  20th  of  July  he  went  to  Notre  Dame 
to  see  the  model  of  the  altar  which  he  wished  to  erect  there. 
In  1702  he  made  the  stations  of  the  jubilee  in  Paris  on  the 
6th  and  7th  of  April;  and  in  1706  he  heard  mass  in  the 
church  of  Les  Invalides,  on  the  28th  of  August,  and  gave 
great  and  well-merited  praise  to  Mansart. 

Monseigneur  went  frequently  to  Paris,  to  the  Opera  and  to 
the  fair  of  St.  Germain.  "  Monseigneur  had,  I  know  not 
how,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  much  endeared  himself  to  the 
common  people  of  Paris,  and  this  sentiment  soon  gained  the 
provinces."  In  1701,  when  Monseigneur  had  an  attack  of 
apoplexy  from  which  he  came  near  dying,  the  fish-women  of 
Paris  sent  a  deputation  to  congratulate  him  on  his  convales- 
cence. He  was  at  Versailles  at  the  time.  "  Paris  loved 
Monseigneur,  perhaps  because  he  went  often  to  the  Opera. 
The  fish-fags  of  the  Halles  thought  it  would  be  proper  to 
exhibit  their  affection,  and  deputed  four  stout  gossips  to  wait 
upon  him.  They  were  admitted.  One  of  them  took  him 
round  the  neck  and  kissed  him  on  both  cheeks;  the  others 
kissed  his  hand.  They  were  all  very  well  received.  Bon- 
temps  showed  them  over  the  apartments,  and  treated  them  to 
a  dinner.  Monseigneur  gave  them  some  money,  and  the 
king  did  also.  They  determined  not  to  remain  in  debt,  and 
had  a  fine  Te  Deum  sung  at  St.  Eustache,  and  then  feasted."  ^ 

The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  amused  herself  much  when 

she  went  to  Paris.     According  to  the  Mercure,  she  was  there 

at  the  fair  on  the  i8th  of  August,  1698,  "  in  a  gray  dress 

decked  with  emeralds,  and  wearing  a  splendid  necklace  of 

^  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  206. 

"  417 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

diamonds."  She  bought  ribbons  and  jewels,  and  watched 
the  dancers  on  the  tight-rope  and  the  marionettes.  In  March, 
1699,  she  visited  the  shops  and  bought  presents  for  Mon- 
seigneur.  Some  years  later  she  came  again,  during  the  fetes 
which  followed  the  birth  of  her  son.  "  The  city  gave  a  fire- 
work fete  upon  the  river,  that  Monseigneur,  the  princes  his 
sons,  and  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  with  many  ladies 
and  courtiers,  came  to  see  from  the  windows  of  the  Louvre."  ^ 

Monsieur  and  Madame  came  sometimes  to  make  a  short 
stay  at  the  Palais  Royal,  which  was  their  town  house.  Their 
son,  the  Due  de  Chartres,  was  very  fond  of  Paris.  He  could 
pursue  his  pleasures  there  much  better  than  under  the  eyes  of 
the  king. 

The  courtiers  came  and  went  continually.  By  day  their 
heavy  coaches  rumbled  over  the  cobbles  on  the  Avenue  de 
Paris;  by  night  the  torches  of  their  grooms  lighted  the  white 
fronts  of  the  houses  along  the  road.  The  people  of  Paris 
came  often  to  Versailles,  The  rich  bourgeoisie  had  their 
own  equipages.  For  other  people  there  were  coaches  that  left 
the  Rue  St.  Nicaise  twice  a  day  for  Versailles,  the  fare  being 
twenty-five  sous.  In  the  same  street  also  there  were  saddle- 
horses  and  post-chaises.  Whenever  a  fete  was  held  at  Ver- 
sailles the  Parisians  were  on  hand  in  large  numbers,  and 
crowded  to  every  point  of  view. 

The  Grand  Monarch  was  very  willing  that  Paris  should 
come  to  admire  the  splendors  of  Versailles,  but  he  was  dis- 
pleased if  his  courtiers  showed  too  open  an  inclination  for 
the  capital.  If  any  of  them  appeared  to  abandon  the  court  for 
Paris,  they  incurred  disgrace.  The  king  remained  through- 
out his  life  bitter  against  Paris  for  the  riots  and  humiliations 
he  had  seen  and  experienced  there  in  his  youth.  The  un- 
pleasant associations  connected  with  his  early  life  there,  the 
fact  that  whenever  he  rode  or  drove  in  the  narrow  streets  of 
*  Saint-Simon,  I,  p.  291. 

418 


The  Court  and  Paris 


Paris  lie  was  surrounded  by  a  crowd,  and  his  love  of  hunting, 
and  of  walking  in  the  open  air,  all  combined  to  fix  him,  as 
soon  as  he  became  his  own  master,  at  St.  Germain.  His  in- 
creasing desire  to  collect  the  nobility  about  him,  that  he  might 
effectually  destroy  the  remnants  of  their  authority,  established 
him  later  at  Versailles.  As  the  central  figure  in  the  new 
world  of  Versailles,  he  fascinated  and  awed  Paris,  and  on 
the  rare  occasions  when  he  went  there,  majestic  in  magnifi- 
cence, he  produced  a  profound  impression. 

He  never  lost  but  once  his  imposing  and  haughty  attitude 
toward  his  capital.  It  was  during  the  most  critical  period  of 
the  War  of  the  Spanish  Succession.  "  People  remarked  much 
at  Fontainebleau,  just  as  Lille  was  invested,  that,  the  City  of 
Paris  coming  to  harangue  the  king  on  the  occasion  of  the  oath 
taken  by  Bignon,  the  new  prevot  des  marchands,  His  Maj- 
esty replied  not  only  with  kindness,  but  that  he  made  use  of 
the  term  *  gratitude  for  his  good  city,'  and  that  in  doing  so  he 
lost  countenance,—  two  things  which  during  all  his  reign  had 
never  escaped  him."  ^ 

*  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  39. 


419 


XVIII 
THE  COURT  AND  THE  PEOPLE 

FROM  1 66 1  to  1685,  owing  to  the  financial  reforms 
of  Colbert,  the  French  peasant  found  his  load  less 
heavy.  The  villain  tax  and  the  salt  tax  had  been 
reduced,  and  by  developing  the  resources  and  in- 
dustries of  the  country,  the  minister  had  raised  the  net  revenue 
from  32,000,000  livres  in  1661  to  87,000,000  livres  in  1683. 
But  however  fast  Colbert  might  increase  resources,  the  ex- 
penditures of  the  Sun  King  more  than  kept  pace,  amounting 
in  1683  to  nearly  100,000,000  livres  for  the  various  depart- 
ments of  the  government.  The  death  of  Colbert  and  the 
Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  were  severe  blows  to  com- 
mercial prosperity,  and  Colbert's  successors  could  invent 
nothing  but  new  taxes.  From  1685  to  1700  the  burdens  of 
the  people  increased;  from  1700  to  171 3,  during  the  War  of 
the  Spanish  Succession,  they  became  so  great  that  the 
peasants  cried  out  in  their  misery. 

In  1709,  "  Monseigneur,  arriving  and  returning  from  the 
Opera,  was  assailed  by  the  populace  and  by  women  in  great 
numbers,  crying,  *  Bread !  bread ! '  so  that  he  was  afraid,  even 
in  the  midst  of  his  guards,  who  did  not  dare  to  disperse  the 
people  for  fear  of  worse  happening.  He  got  away  by  throw- 
ing money  to  the  people  and  promising  wonders ;  but  as  the 
wonders  did  not  follow,  he  no  longer  dared  to  go  to  Paris,"  ^ 
He  met  the  same  thing  elsewhere.     Dangeau  tells  us,  on  May 

^  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  63. 
420 


The  Court  and  the  People 


2,  1709,  that  "  Monseigneur,  hunting  the  wolf,  found  in  the 
country  a  crowd  of  peasants,  and  above  all  women,  who  cried 
loudly,  complaining  of  the  price  of  bread,  which  increased 
daily.  Monseigneur  gave  money  to  these  unfortunate  peo- 
ple." "  The  king  himself,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  from  his 
windows,  heard  the  people  of  Versailles  crying  aloud  in  the 
street.  They  uttered  complaints,  sharp  and  but  little  mea- 
sured, against  the  government." 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1709,  there  was  a  bread  riot  in 
Paris.  "  The  idle  and  poor  had  been  employed  to  level  a 
rather  large  hillock  which  remained  upon  the  Boulevard,  be- 
tween the  Fortes  St.  Denis  and  St.  Martin;  and  for  all  pay, 
bread  in  small  quantities  was  distributed  to  these  workers. 
It  happened  that  on  Tuesday  morning,  the  20th  of  August, 
there  was  no  bread  for  a  large  number  of  these  people.  A 
woman  amongst  others  cried  out  at  this,  which  excited  the 
rest  to  do  likewise.  The  archers  appointed  to  watch  over 
these  laborers  threatened  the  woman;  she  only  cried  the 
louder;  thereupon  the  archers  seized  her,  and  indiscreetly 
put  her  in  an  adjoining  pillory.  In  a  moment  all  her  com- 
panions ran  to  her  aid,  pulled  down  the  pillory,  and  scoured 
the  streets,  pillaging  the  bakers  and  pastry-cooks.  One  by 
one  the  shops  closed.  The  disorder  increased  and  spread 
through  the  neighboring  streets;  no  harm  was  done  to  any- 
body, but  the  cry  was,  *  Bread !  bread ! '  and  bread  was  seized 
everywhere.  It  so  fell  out  that  the  Marechal  de  Boufflers, 
who  little  thought  what  was  happening,  was  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, calling  upon  his  notary.  Surprised  at  the  fright  he 
saw  everywhere,  and  learning  the  cause,  he  wished  himself  to 
appease  it.  Accompanied  by  the  Due  de  Grammont,  he  di- 
rected himself  toward  the  scene  of  the  disturbance,  although 
advised  not  to  do  so.  When  he  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  Rue 
St.  Denis,  the  crowd  and  the  tumult  made  him  judge  that  it 
would  be  best  to  alight  from  his  coach.     He  advanced,  there- 


421 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

fore,  on  foot  with  the  Due  de  Grammont  among  the  furious 
and  infinite  crowd  of  people,  of  whom  he  asked  the  cause  of 
this  uproar,  promised  them  bread,  spoke  his  best  with  gentle- 
ness but  firmness,  and  remonstrated  with  them.  He  was  lis- 
tened to.  Cries,  several  times  repeated,  of  '  Vive  M.  le  Mare- 
chal  de  Boufflers ! '  burst  from  the  crowd.  He  walked  thus 
with  M.  de  Grammont  all  along  the  Rue  aux  Ours  and  the 
neighboring  streets,  into  the  very  center  of  the  sedition,  in 
fact.  The  people  begged  him  to  represent  their  misery  to  the 
king,  and  to  obtain  for  them  some  food.  He  promised  this, 
and  upon  his  word  being  given,  all  were  appeased,  and  all  dis- 
persed with  thanks  and  fresh  acclamations  of  *  Vive  M.  le 
Marechal  de  Bouffiers ! '  He  did  a  real  service  that  day. 
D'Argenson  had  marched  to  the  spot  with  troops,  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  marechal,  blood  would  have  been  spilled,  and 
things  might  have  gone  very  far.  M.  de  Boufflers  had 
scarcely  reached  his  own  house  in  the  Place  Royale  when  he 
was  informed  that  the  sedition  had  broken  out  with  even 
greater  force  in  the  Faubourg  St.  Antoine.  He  ran  there 
immediately,  with  the  Due  de  Grammont,  and  appeased  it  as 
he  had  appeased  the  other.  He  returned  to  his  own  house  to 
eat  a  mouthful  or  two,  and  then  set  out  for  Versailles. 
Scarcely  had  he  left  the  Place  Royale  when  the  people  in  the 
streets  cried  to  him  to  have  pity  on  them  and  to  get  them  some 
bread,  always  with  '  Vive  M.  le  Marechal  de  Boufflers ! '  He 
was  conducted  thus  as  far  as  the  quay  of  the  Louvre.  On 
arriving  at  Versailles,  he  went  straight  to  the  king,  told  him 
what  had  occurred,  and  was  much  thanked.  He  was  even 
offered  by  the  king  the  command  of  Paris,  troops,  citizens, 
police,  and  all ;  but  this  he  declined,  Paris,  as  he  said,  having 
already  a  governor  and  proper  officers  to  conduct  its  affairs. 
Immediately  after,  the  supply  of  bread  was  carefully  looked 
to.     Paris  was  filled  with  patrols,  perhaps  with  too  many, 

422 


The  Theatre  d'Eau,  Versailles 


The  Court  and  the  People 


but  they  succeeded  so  well  that  no  fresh  disturbances  took 
place."  1 

If  there  was  much  destitution  in  Paris,  there  was  more  in 
the  provinces.  Taine  has  estimated  that  in  171 5  some  six 
millions  of  people  in  France  were  perishing  with  hunger. 
Few  passages  are  more  often  quoted,  in  connection  with  the 
peasants  under  the  Old  Regime,  than  those  lines  of  La 
Bruyere :  "  Certain  savage-looking  beings,  male  and  female, 
are  seen  in  the  country,  black,  livid,  and  sunburnt,  and  be- 
longing to  the  soil  which  they  dig  and  grub  with  invincible 
stubbornness.  They  seem  capable  of  articulation,  and  when 
they  stand  erect,  they  display  human  lineaments.  They  are, 
in  fact,  men.  They  retire  at  night  into  their  dens,  where  they 
live  on  black  bread,  water,  and  roots.  They  spare  other 
human  beings  the  trouble  of  sowing,  plowing,  and  harvesting, 
and  thus  should  not  be  in  want  of  the  bread  they  have 
planted."  While  to  a  certain  degree,  and  in  certain  local- 
ities, La  Bruyere's  words  were  without  exaggeration,  to  apply 
his  picture  to  France  at  large  would  be  a  serious  error.  There 
was  misery  and  suffering  enough  among  the  peasants,  with- 
out question,  but  had  the  majority  of  them  been  in  the  situa- 
tion depicted  by  La  Bruyere,  the  court  would  have  collapsed, 
and  the  machinery  of  the  government  would  have  broken 
down  long  before  it  did.  From  people  who  have  nothing  but 
"  dens,  black  bread,  water,  and  roots,"  no  king  can  draw  mil- 
lions of  livres.  Those  millions  the  king  and  the  nobles  drew, 
and  continued  to  draw  long  after  Louis  XIV. 

France  was  prosperous  in  1675,  but  not  rich  enough  to  sup- 
port the  splendor  of  a  Sun  King  and  make  war  at  the  same 
time.  The  expenditures  of  the  Grand  Monarch  were  very 
great,  but  the  cost  of  Versailles  and  Marly  was,  after  all,  a 
small  part  of  the  whole.     In  171 5  there  was  hardly  a  noble 

^  Saint-Simon,  II,  p.  64. 


423 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

family  at  court  that  was  not  living  entirely  on  the  king's 
money,  and  the  cost  of  supporting  the  nobility  crippled  the 
king  and  crushed  the  peasants.  In  1710  the  poverty  of  the 
people  came  to  the  surface  even  at  Versailles,  and  the  beggars 
became  so  numerous  in  the  vestibules  and  corridors  of  the 
palace  that  the  king  appointed  certain  Sw^iss  guards  to  take 
them  up  and  send  them  to  the  hospital. 

Louis  was  led  away  by  false  principles.  In  the  prosperous 
years  of  Colbert's  administration,  the  monarch  reduced  and 
remitted  various  taxes ;  but  having  set  up  a  huge  royal  estab- 
lishment, he  felt  bound  to  maintain  it  when  the  bad  years 
came,  and,  furthermore,  the  situation  was  such  that  he  was 
forced  to  maintain  a  large  part  of  the  nobility  whether  he 
would  or  not.  When  Louvois  proposed  a  heavy  measure  of 
taxation,  the  king  hesitated ;  and  when  the  minister  remarked 
that  it  was  only  necessary  to  use  a  little  severity,  the  monarch 
interrupted  him  by  saying,  "  I  do  not  wish  any  one  to  use  my 
people  severely."  He  probably  did  not,  but  they  were  used 
severely  none  the  less. 

And  they,  burdened  and  oppressed,  bent  their  backs  to  the 
plow,  still  believing  that  their  first  duty  was  to  seek  the 
splendor  of  Louis  and  his  magnificence,  because  "  the  nation 
entire  resided  in  the  person  of  the  king." 


424 


XIX 

THE  END  OF  THE  REIGN 

DURING  a  promenade  at  Marly  in  January,  171 5, 
i  Louis  XIV  complained  of  the  cold.  He  had 
f  never  done  so  before,  not  even  in  the  bitter  winter 
of  1709.  In  the  preceding  ten  years  the  old  king 
had  experienced  many  misfortunes  and  many  sorrows.  His 
troops  had  met  defeat  after  defeat  at  the  hands  of  the  Duke  of 
Marlborough  and  Prince  Eugene ;  his  prestige  had  been  sadly 
impaired,  his  pride  severely  wounded,  his  finances  seriously 
crippled ;  placards  "  the  most  daring,  the  most  unmeasured, 
against  his  person  and  his  government,"  had  appeared  in 
Paris,  pasted  at  night  upon  the  gates,  the  churches,  the 
statues ;  death  had  struck  down  his  son  and  heir,  and  then,  in 
quick  succession,  his  talented  grandson  and  his  beloved  grand- 
daughter-in-law,  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and 
their  little  son,  the  Due  de  Bretagne,  and  later  the  Due  de 
Berry;  he  himself  had  been  brought  to  the  brink  of  ruin. 
But  the  old  king,  abating  nothing  of  his  stately  bearing,  faced 
his  disasters  with  the  firmness  and  dignity  which  had  dis- 
tinguished him  throughout  his  life;  and  when,  at  the  last,  it 
seemed  that  only  a  miracle  could  keep  the  enemy  out  of  Paris, 
while  his  courtiers  were  urging  him  to  retire  to  Blois,  he  sent 
Villars  to  the  combat,  declaring  that  if  fortune  failed,  he  him- 
self would  rally  the  troops  that  remained,  march  to  St.  Quen- 
tin,  and  die  King  of  France.  Fortune,  not  daring,  appa- 
rently, to  mock  him  further,  returned  to  him  at  Denain. 

425 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

But  these  things  had  left  their  stamp,  hidden  and  heavy, 
upon  that  majesty  which  Saint-Simon  termed  a  "  terror,"  and 
though,  at  the  beginning  of  171 5,  the  Grand  Monarch  still 
bore  his  seventy-six  years  well,  yet  he  complained  of  the 
cold.  It  was  the  first  public  symptom  of  his  physical  decline ; 
his  loss  of  appetite  was  the  second.  "  His  appetite,  which  had 
always  been  good  and  uniform,  very  considerably  dimin- 
ished," says  Saint-Simon.  "  Even  foreign  countries  became 
aware  of  this.  Bets  were  laid  in  London  that  his  life  would 
not  last  beyond  the  first  of  September,  that  is  to  say,  about 
three  months,  and  although  the  king  wished  to  know  every- 
thing, it  may  be  imagined  that  nobody  was  very  eager  to 
make  him  acquainted  with  this  news.  He  used  to  have  the 
Dutch  papers  read  to  him  in  private  by  Torcy,  often  after  the 
council.  One  day  as  Torcy  was  reading,  coming  unexpect- 
edly, for  he  had  not  examined  the  paper,  upon  the  account  of 
these  bets,  he  stopped,  stammered,  and  skipped  it.  The  king, 
who  easily  perceived  this,  asked  him  the  cause  of  his  embar- 
rassment ;  what  he  was  passing  over,  and  why  he  omitted  it. 
Torcy  blushed  to  the  very  whites  of  his  eyes,  and  said  that  it 
was  a  piece  of  impertinence  unworthy  of  being  read.  The 
king  insisted;  Torcy  alsp;  but  at  last  thoroughly  confused, 
he  could  not  resist  the  reiterated  command  he  received,  and 
read  the  whole  account  of  the  bets.  The  king  pretended  not 
to  be  touched  by  it,  but  he  was,  and  profoundly,  so  that,  on 
sitting  down  at  dinner  immediately  afterward,  he  could  not 
keep  himself  from  speaking  of  it,  though  without  mention- 
ing the  gazette.  This  was  at  Marly,  and  by  chance  I  was 
there  that  day.  The  king  looked  at  me  as  at  the  others,  as 
though  asking  for  a  reply.  I  took  good  care  not  to  open  my 
mouth,  and  lowered  my  eyes.  Cheverny  was  not  so  prudent, 
but  made  a  long  and  ill-timed  rhapsody  upon  similar  reports 
that  had  come  to  Copenhagen  from  Vienna  while  he  was  am- 
bassador at  the  former  place  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  be- 

426 


X 


The  End  of  the  Reign 


fore.  The  king  allowed  him  to  say  on,  but  did  not  take  the 
bait.  He  appeared  touched,  but  like  a  man  who  does  not  wish 
to  seem  so.  It  could  be  seen  that  he  did  all  he  could  to  eat, 
and  to  show  that  he  ate  with  appetite;  but  it  was  also  seen 
that  the  mouthfuls  loitered  on  their  way.  This  trifle  did  not 
fail  to  augment  the  circumspection  of  the  court,  above  all  of 
those  who  by  their  position  had  reason  to  be  more  attentive 
than  the  rest.  It  was  reported  that  an  aide-de-camp  of  Lord 
Stair,  who  was  then  English  ambassador  at  our  court,  and 
very  much  disliked  for  his  insolent  bearing  and  troublesome 
ways,  had  caused  these  bets  by  what  he  had  said  in  England 
respecting  the  health  of  the  king.  Stair,  when  told  this,  was 
much  grieved,  and  said  it  was  a  scoundrel  he  had  dis- 
missed. .  .  . 

"  On  Friday,  the  9th  of  August,  17 15,  the  king  hunted  the 
stag  after  dinner,  driving  himself  as  usual.  It  was  for  the 
last  time.  Upon  his  return  he  appeared  much  knocked  up. 
There  was  a  grand  concert  in  the  evening  in  Madame  de 
Maintenon's  apartment.  On  Saturday,  the  loth  of  August, 
he  walked  before  dinner  in  his  gardens  at  Marly;  he  re- 
turned to  Versailles  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and 
never  again  saw  that  strange  work  of  his  hands.  In  the 
evening  he  worked  with  the  chancellor  in  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon's  apartment,  and  appeared  to  everybody  very  ill.  On 
Sunday,  the  nth  of  August,  he  held  the  Council  of  State, 
and  walked  after  dinner  to  Trianon,  nevermore  to  go  out 
again  during  life.  On  Monday,  the  12th  of  August,  he  took 
medicine  as  usual.  It  was  known  that  he  complained  of 
sciatica  in  the  leg  and  thigh.  He  had  never  before  had 
sciatica,  and  for  a  long  time  no  touch  of  gout.  In  the  evening 
there  was  a  little  concert  in  Madame  de  Maintenon's  rooms. 
This  was  the  last  time  in  his  life  that  he  walked  alone.  On 
Tuesday,  the  13th  of  August,  he  made  a  violent  effort  and 
gave  a  farewell  audience  to  the  Persian  ambassador  whom 

427 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

Pontchartrain  had  imposed  upon  him ;  this  was  the  last  pub- 
lic action  of  his  life.  .  .  . 

"  For  more  than  a  year  the  health  of  the  king  had  dimin- 
ished. His  valets  noticed  this  first,  and  followed  the  progress 
of  the  malady,  without  one  of  them  daring  to  open  his  mouth. 
M.  du  Maine  saw  it,  and  Madame  de  Maintenon  also;  but 
they  did  nothing.  Fagon,  the  chief  physician,  much  fallen  off 
in  mind  and  body,  was  the  only  one  of  the  king's  intimates  who 
saw  nothing.  Marechal,  also  chief  physician,  spoke  to  Fagon 
several  times,  but  was  always  harshly  repulsed.  Pressed  at 
last  by  his  duty  and  his  attachment,  he  made  bold  one  morn- 
ing toward  Whitsuntide  to  go  to  Madame  de  Maintenon.  He 
told  her  what  he  saw  and  how  grossly  Fagon  was  mistaken. 
He  assured  her  that  the  king,  whose  pulse  he  had  often  felt, 
had  had  for  some  time  a  slow  internal  fever;  that  his  consti- 
tution was  so  good  that  with  remedies  and  attention  all  would 
go  well,  but  that  if  the  malady  were  allowed  to  grow,  there 
would  no  longer  be  any  resource.  Madame  de  Maintenon 
grew  angry,  and  all  he  obtained  for  his  zeal  was  her  anger. 
She  said  that  only  the  personal  enemies  of  Fagon  could  find 
fault  with  his  opinion  upon  the  king's  health,  concerning 
which  the  capacity,  the  application,  the  experience  of  Fagon 
could  not  be  deceived.  The  best  of  it  is  that  Marechal,  who 
had  formerly  operated  upon  Fagon  for  the  stone,  had  been 
appointed  chief  surgeon  by  him,  and  they  had  always  lived  on 
the  best  of  terms.  Marechal,  annoyed  as  he  related  to  me, 
could  do  nothing  more,  and  began  from  that  time  to  lament 
the  death  of  his  master.  Fagon  was  in  fact  the  first  physi- 
cian in  Europe,  but  for  a  long  time  his  health  had  not  per- 
mitted him  to  maintain  his  experience,  and  the  high  point  of 
authority  to  which  his  capacity  and  his  favor  had  carried  him 
had  at  last  spoiled  him.  He  would  not  hear  reason,  or  sub- 
mit to  reply ;  and  continued  to  treat  the  king  as  he  had  treated 
him  in  earlier  years,  and  killed  him  by  his  obstinacy.     The 

428 


The  End  of  the  Reign 


gout,  of  which  the  king  had  had  long  attacks,  induced  Fagon 
to  swaddle  him,  so  to  say,  every  night  in  a  heap  of  feather 
pillows,  which  made  him  sweat  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was 
necessary  in  the  morning  to  rub  him  down  and  change  his 
linen  before  the  grand  chamberlain  and  the  first  gentleman  of 
the  Chamber  could  enter.  For  many  years  he  had  drunk 
nothing  but  Burgundy  wine,  half  mixed  with  water.  .  .  . 
During  the  last  year  of  his  life,  as  he  became  more  and  more 
costive,  Fagon  made  him  eat  at  the  commencement  of  his  re- 
pasts many  iced  fruits,  that  is  to  say,  mulberries,  melons,  and 
figs,  and  at  his  dessert  many  other  fruits.  ...  So  much 
water  and  so  much  fruit,  unconnected  by  anything  spiritu- 
ous, turned  his  blood  into  gangrene ;  while  those  forced  night- 
sweats  diminished  its  strength  and  impoverished  it.  And  thus 
his  death  was  caused,  as  was  seen  by  the  opening  of  his  body ; 
the  organs  were  found  in  such  good  and  healthy  condition 
that  there  is  reason  to  believe  he  would  have  lived  beyond  his 
hundredth  year.  Remedies  were  not  thought  of  until  it  was 
no  longer  time,  because  Fagon  would  never  believe  him  ill, 
nor  would  Madame  de  Maintenon.  Amidst  all  this,  the  king 
felt  his  state  before  they  perceived  it,  and  said  so  sometimes 
to  his  valets.  Fagon  always  reassured  him,  but  did  nothing. 
The  king  was  contented  with  what  was  said  to  him,  without 
being  persuaded;  his  friendship  for  Fagon  restrained  him, 
and  Madame  de  Maintenon  still  more. 

"  On  Wednesday,  the  14th  of  August,  the  king  was  car- 
ried to  the  chapel  for  the  last  time  to  hear  mass.  He  held 
the  Council  of  State,  ate  a  meat  dinner,  and  had  music  in 
Madame  de  Maintenon's  apartments.  He  supped  in  his 
chamber,  where  the  court  saw  him  as  at  his  dinner;  after- 
ward he  was  with  the  royal  family  a  short  time  in  his  cabinet, 
and  went  to  bed  a  little  after  ten.  On  Thursday,  the  15th  of 
August,  the  Festival  of  the  Assumption,  he  heard  mass  in  his 
bed.     The  night  had  been  disturbed  and  bad.     He  dined  in 


429 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

his  bed,  the  courtiers  being  present,  rose  at  five  o'clock,  and 
was  carried  to  Madame  de  Maintenon's,  where  there  was 
music.  He  supped  and  went  to  bed  as  on  the  previous 
evening.  As  long  as  he  could  sit  up  he  did  the  same.  On 
Friday,  the  i6th  of  August,  the  night  had  been  no  better; 
much  thirst  and  drink.  The  king  ordered  no  one  to  enter 
until  ten  o'clock.  Mass  and  dinner  in  his  bed  as  before;  then 
he  was  carried  to  Madame  de  Maintenon's;  he  played  cards 
with  the  ladies  there,  and  afterward  there  was  a  grand  con- 
cert. On  Saturday,  the  17th  of  August,  the  night  was  as 
the  preceding.  He  held  the  Finance  Council  while  in  bed; 
saw  people  at  his  dinner;  rose  immedately  after;  gave 
audience  in  his  cabinet  to  the  general  of  the  Order  of  Ste. 
Croix  de  la  Bretonnerie;  and  passed  to  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon's, where  he  worked  with  the  chancellor.  At  night 
Fagon  slept  for  the  first  time  in  the  king's  chamber.  Sunday, 
the  1 8th  of  August,  passed  like  the  preceding  days.  Fagon 
pretended  that  there  had  been  no  fever.  The  king  held  a 
Council  of  State  before  and  after  his  dinner;  worked  after- 
ward upon  the  fortifications  with  Pelletier;  then  passed  to 
Madame  de  Maintenon's,  where  there  was  music. 

"  Monday,  the  19th,  and  Tuesday,  the  20th  of  August, 
passed  much  as  the  previous  days,  except  that  on  the  20th  the 
king  supped  in  his  dressing-gown,  seated  in  an  arm-chair,  and 
after  that  evening  he  never  left  his  bedchamber  or  dressed 
himself  again.  That  same  day  Madame  de  Saint-Simon, 
whom  I  had  pressed  to  return,  came  back  from  the  waters  of 
Forges.  The  king,  entering  after  supper  into  his  cabinet,  per- 
ceived her.  He  ordered  his  chair  to  be  stopped ;  spoke  to  her 
very  kindly  upon  her  journey  and  her  return ;  then  had  him- 
self wheeled  on  by  Blouin  into  the  other  cabinet.  She  was 
the  last  court  lady  to  whom  he  spoke.  I  do  not  count  those 
who  were  always  near  him,  and  who  came  to  him  when  he 
could  no  longer  leave  his  chamber.     Madame  de  Saint-Simon 

430 


The  End  of  the  Reign 


said  to  me  in  the  evening  that  she  should  not  have  recognized 
the  king  if  she  had  met  him  anywhere  else.^  Yet  she  had  left 
Marly  for  Forges  only  on  the  6th  of  July.  On  Wednesday, 
the  2 1st  of  August,  four  physicians  saw  the  king,  but  took 
care  to  do  nothing  except  to  praise  Fagon,  who  gave  him 
cassia.  For  some  days  it  had  been  perceived  that  he  ate 
meat  and  even  bread  with  difficulty ;  soup  in  larger  quantity, 
very  light  hash,  and  eggs  compensated  him,  but  he  ate  very 
sparingly. 

"  On  Thursday,  the  22d  of  August,  the  king  was  still  worse. 
He  saw  four  other  physicians,  who,  like  the  first  four,  did 
nothing  but  admire  the  learned  and  admirable  treatment  of 
Fagon,  who  made  him  take  toward  evening  some  Jesuit  bark 
and  water,  and  intended  to  give  him  ass's  milk  at  night.  This 
same  day  the  king  ordered  the  Due  de  la  Rochefoucauld  to 
bring  him  his  clothes  on  the  morrow,  in  order  that  he  might 
choose  what  he  would  wear  upon  leaving  off  the  mourning  he 
had  worn  for  a  son  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Lorraine.  He 
had  not  been  able  to  quit  his  chamber  for  some  days ;  he  could 
scarcely  eat  anything  solid;  his  physician  slept  in  his  cham- 
ber; and  yet  he  reckoned  upon  being  cured,  upon  dressing 
himself  again,  and  wished  to  choose  his  dress!  Meanwhile, 
let  me  say  that  the  state  of  the  king,  of  which  nobody  was 
ignorant,  had  already  changed  M.  le  Due  d'Orleans's  desert 
into  a  crowded  city.^ 

"  Friday,  the  23d  of  August,  the  night  was  as  usual,  the 
morning  also.  The  king  worked  with  Pere  Tellier,  who 
tried,  but  in  vain,  to  make  him  fill  up  several  benefices  that 
were  vacant ;  that  is  to  say,  Pere  Tellier  wished  to  dispose  of 
them  himself,  instead  of  leaving  them  to  M.  le  Due  d'Orleans. 
Let  me  state  at  once  that  the  more  feeble  the  king  grew,  the 
more  Pere  Tellier  worried  him,  so  as  not  to  lose  such  a  rich 

*  The  king  had  grown  very  thin       '  The    Due    d'Orleans    lodged   in 
since  the  ist  of  August.  the  south  wing  of  the  chateau. 


431 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

prize,  or  miss  the  opportunity  of  securing  fresh  creatures  for 
his  service.  But  he  could  not  succeed.  The  king  declared 
that  he  had  enough  to  render  account  of  to  God  without 
charging  himself  with  this  nomination,  and  forbade  Pere 
Tellier  to  speak  again  upon  the  subject. 

"  On  Saturday  evening,  the  24th  of  August,  the  king 
supped  in  his  dressing-gown,  in  the  presence  of  the  courtiers, 
for  the  last  time.  I  noticed  that  he  could  only  swallow 
liquids,  and  that  he  was  troubled  if  looked  at.  He  could  not 
finish  his  supper,  and  begged  the  courtiers  to  pass  on,  that  is 
to  say,  go  away.  He  went  to  bed,  where  his  leg,  on  which 
were  several  black  marks,  was  examined.  It  had  grown  worse 
lately  and  had  given  him  much  pain.  He  sent  for  Pere 
Tellier  and  made  confession.  Confusion  spread  among  the 
doctors  at  this.  Milk  and  Jesuit  bark  and  water  had  been 
tried  and  abandoned;  now  nobody  knew  what  to  try.  The 
doctors  admitted  that  they  believed  he  had  had  a  slow  fever 
since  Whitsuntide,  and  excused  themselves  for  doing  nothing 
on  the  ground  that  he  did  not  wish  for  remedies. 

"On  Sunday,  the  25th  of  August,  no  more  mystery  was 
made  of  the  king's  danger.  Nevertheless,  he  expressly  com- 
manded that  nothing  should  be  changed  in  the  usual  order  of 
this  day,  the  Fete  of  St.  Louis ;  that  is  to  say,  the  drums  and 
hautboys,  assembled  beneath  his  windows,  should  play  their 
accustomed  music  as  soon  as  he  awoke,  and  that  the  twenty- 
four  violins  should  play  in  the  antechamber  during  his  dinner. 
He  worked  afterward  with  the  chancellor,  who  wrote  under 
his  dictation  a  codicil  to  his  will,  Madame  de  Maintenon 
being  present.  She  and  M.  du  Maine,  who  thought  inces- 
santly of  themselves,  did  not  consider  that  the  king  had  done 
enough  for  them  by  his  will.  They  wished  to  remedy  this  by 
a  codicil,  which  showed  how  enormously  they  abused  the 
king's  weakness  in  this  extremity,  and  to  what  an  excess  am- 
bition carried  them.     By  this  codicil  the  king  submitted  all 

432 


The  End  of  the  Reign 


the  civil  and  military  household  of  the  future  king  to  the 
Due  du  Maine,  and  under  his  orders  to  the  Marechal  de  Ville- 
roi;  by  this  disposition,  they  became  the  sole  masters  of  the 
person  and  dwelling-place  of  the  young  king,  and  of  Paris,  by 
the  troops  placed  in  their  hands ;  so  that  the  regent  would  be 
at  their  mercy  and  without  authority.  Soon  after  the  chan- 
cellor left  the  king,  Madame  de  Maintenon,  who  remained, 
sent  for  the  ladies,  and  the  musicians  came  at  seven  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  The  king  fell  asleep  during  the  conversation 
of  the  ladies.  He  awoke,  his  brain  confused,  which  fright- 
ened them  and  made  them  call  the  doctors.  They  found  his 
pulse  so  bad  that  they  did  not  hesitate  to  propose  to  him,  his 
senses  having  returned,  to  take  the  sacrament  without  delay. 
Pere  Tellier  was  sent  for;  the  musicians  who  had  just  pre- 
pared their  books  and  instruments  were  dismissed,  the  ladies 
also;  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  from  that  time  the  king 
made  confession  to  Pere  Tellier,  the  Cardinal  de  Rohan, 
meanwhile,  bringing  the  Holy  Sacrament  from  the  chapel, 
and  sending  for  the  cure  and  holy  oils.  Two  of  the  king's 
chaplains,  summoned  by  the  cardinal,  came,  and  seven  or 
eight  candlesticks  were  carried  by  valets.  The  cardinal  said 
a  word  or  two  to  the  king  upon  this  great  and  last  action, 
during  which  the  king  appeared  very  firm  and  very  penetrated 
with  what  he  was  doing.  As  soon  as  he  had  received 
the  Holy  Sacrament  and  the  holy  oils,  everybody  left  the 
chamber  except  Madame  de  Maintenon  and  the  chancellor. 
Immediately  afterward,  and  this  was  rather  strange,  a  kind 
of  book  or  little  tablet  was  placed  upon  the  bed,  the  codicil 
was  presented  to  the  king,  and  at  the  bottom  of  it  he 
wrote  four  or  five  lines,  and  restored  the  document  to  the 
chancellor."  ^ 

At  this  point  it  is  best  to  leave  Saint-Simon's  account  of  the 
king's  last  days,  and  turn  to  that  of  Dangeau.  Dangeau 
^Saint-Simon,  II,  pp.  343-352. 

28 


433 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

was  in  the  royal  bedchamber  on  several  occasions  between 
the  26th  of  August  and  the  ist  of  September,  but  Saint- 
Simon  was  not. 

"  Monday,  the  26th  of  August.  Toward  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  they  examined  the  king's  leg,  in  which  they  had 
made  many  incisions,  some  even  to  the  bone.  They  found 
that  the  gangrene  had  increased  to  such  an  extent  as  to  leave 
no  doubt,  even  in  the  minds  of  those  who  wished  most  to 
flatter  themselves,  that  it  was  working  within,  and  that  no 
remedy  could  avail.  Madame  de  Maintenon  was  alone  in  the 
chamber,  and  on  her  knees  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  while  they 
examined  His  Majesty.  After  the  examination  the  king  said 
that,  since  no  remedy  could  save  him,  he  demanded  at  least 
that  he  be  allowed  to  die  in  peace.  At  noon  His  Majesty  had 
the  little  dauphin  brought  into  his  chamber,  and  after  em- 
bracing him,  he  said  '  My  darling,  you  are  going  to  be  a  great 
king,  but  all  your  happiness  will  depend  upon  your  submission 
to  God  and  the  care  you  take  to  succor  your  people.  To  at- 
tain that,  avoid  making  war ;  that  is  the  ruin  of  peoples.  Do 
not  follow  the  bad  example  I  have  given  you  in  that  respect. 
I  have  entered  into  war  too  lightly,  and  sustained  it  through 
vanity.  Do  not  imitate  me,  but  be  a  pacific  prince,  and  let 
your  chief  work  be  to  succor  your  subjects.  Profit  by  the 
good  education  that  Mme.  la  Duchesse  de  Ventadour  gives 
you,  obey  her,  and  follow  always,  in  order  to  serve  God  well, 
the  counsels  of  Pere  Le  Tellier,  whom  I  give  you  for  con- 
fessor.' 

"  '  As  for  you,  madame,'  he  said  to  Madame  de  Ventadour, 
*  I  thank  you  greatly  for  the  care  with  which  you  have  reared 
this  child,  and  for  the  tender  regard  you  have  for  him.  I  pray 
you  to  continue  it,  and  I  urge  him  to  give  you  all  possible 
marks  of  his  gratitude.'  Then  he  embraced  the  dauphin 
twice,  and  weeping,  gave  him  his  benediction.  The  little 
prince   was   carried   away  weeping  by   his   governess,   the 

434 


The  End  of  the  Reign 


Duchesse  de  Ventadour;  and  this  touching  spectacle  moved 
us  all  to  tears. 

"  A  moment  after,  the  king  sent  for  the  Due  du  Maine  and 
the  Comte  de  Toulouse,  and  spoke  to  them  with  closed  doors. 
He  did  the  same  with  the  Due  d'Orleans,  whom  he  had  sum- 
moned from  his  apartment.  At  the  moment  that  the  prince 
was  leaving  the  chamber,  the  king  called  him  back  for  the 
second  time. 

"  At  half-past  twelve  the  king  heard  mass  in  his  chamber, 
with  the  same  attention  with  which  he  heard  it  always,  his 
eyes  always  open,  and  praying  God  with  supreme  earnestness. 
As  the  mass  was  about  to  begin,  His  Majesty  called  the  Mar- 
quis de  Torcy,  Minister  of  State,  and  said  a  word  to  him.  At 
the  conclusion  of  the  mass,  he  made  the  Cardinal  de  Rohan 
and  the  Cardinal  de  Bissy  approach,  and  spoke  to  them  for 
about  a  minute ;  and  having  finished  with  them,  he  spoke  in  a 
louder  tone  to  all  his  officers  who  were  in  the  ruelle  or  before 
the  balustrade.  We  all  approached  his  bed,  and  he  said  to  us : 
'  Gentlemen,  I  thank  you  for  your  services.  You  have  served 
me  faithfully  and  sought  to  please  me.  I  am  sorry  that  I 
have  not  been  able  to  recompense  you  better ;  the  misfortunes 
of  the  last  years  have  not  permitted  it.  I  leave  you  with 
regret.  Serve  the  dauphin  with  the  same  affection  with 
which  you  have  served  me.  He  is  a  child  of  five  years,  who 
may  meet  with  reverses,  because  I  remember  having  had  to 
undergo  much  in  my  youth.  I  go,  but  the  state  lives  always. 
Be  faithful,  and  let  your  example  be  one  for  all  my  other  sub- 
jects. Be  united  and  in  accord  —  that  is  the  union  and  force 
of  a  state;  and  follow  the  orders  which  my  nephew  will  give 
you.  He  is  to  govern  the  kingdom;  I  hope  he  will  govern 
it  well.  I  hope  also  that  you  will  do.your  duty,  and  that  you 
will  sometimes  remember  me.'  At  these  last  words  we  were 
all  in  tears,  and  nothing  was  heard  but  sobs.  His  voice  was 
not  at  all  broken,  and  only  slightly  less  strong  than  usual. 

435 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

He  sent  then  for  the  Due  d' Orleans,  who  asked  those  near 
him  to  leave  the  chamber,  of  whom  I  was  one,  and  recom- 
mended Madame  de  Maintenon  to  him;  and  His  Majesty 
afterward  summoned  Madame  and  all  the  princesses,  who 
were  followed  by  their  ladies  of  honor.  They  were  there  but 
a  moment,  and  I  do  not  understand  how  the  king  was  able  to 
endure  their  lamentations  and  the  cries  that  they  made.^ 

"  One  must  have  seen  the  last  moments  of  this  great  king 
to  understand  the  Christian  firmness  and  heroism  with  which 
he  sustained  the  approach  of  death,  that  he  knew  was  near 
and  inevitable.  Since  eight  o'clock  this  morning  there  has 
not  been  a  moment  when  he  has  not  done  some  action,  illus- 
trious, pious,  or  heroic,  not  as  the  ancient  Romans  who  af- 
fected to  brave  death,  but  with  a  natural  manner,  as  in  the 
most  ordinary  actions  of  life,  speaking  to  each  only  of  those 
things  pertaining  to  him,  and  with  that  eloquence  that  he  had 
had  always,  and  which  appeared  to  be  increased  in  his  last 
hours.  In  short,  however  great  he  has  been  in  the  course 
of  his  glorious  reign  of  seventy-two  years,  he  seems  still 
greater  in  his  death.  His  presence  of  mind  and  his  firmness 
have  not  left  him  for  a  moment,  and  in  speaking  with  good- 
ness and  kindness  to  all  to  whom  he  wished  to  speak,  he  has 
preserved  all  his  grandeur  and  majesty  even  to  his  last  sigh. 

"  At  two  o'clock,  Madame  de  Maintenon  being  alone  in  the 
king's  chamber.  His  Majesty  summoned  the  chancellor,  and 
had  him  open  his  caskets  and  burn  certain  of  his  papers,  and 
gave  orders  regarding  others  with  the  same  presence  of  mind 
with  which  he  was  wont  to  give  orders  at  the  council.  This 
work  lasted  about  two  hours.  At  six  o'clock  he  had  the 
chancellor  return,  and,  in  the  presence  of  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon, worked  with  him  for  about  half  an  hour.  ...  At  ten 

^ "  They    retired    by    the    cabinet,  dead ;  and  indeed  the  rumor  spread 

weeping    and    crying    very    loudly,  to    Paris,    and    even    to    the    prov- 

which   caused    some   people   to   be-  inces."     Saint-Simon. 
lieve    outside    that    the    king    was 


The  End  of  the  Reign 


in  the  evening  they  examined  His  Majesty's  leg,  and  found 
that  the  gangrene  had  made  no  further  progress  since  morn- 
ing, and  that  the  leg  seemed  even  slightly  better;  and  as  the 
king's  strength  had  appeared  to  return  during  the  afternoon, 
a  ray  of  hope  came  to  those  who  wished  to  flatter  themselves, 
but  those  who  listened  to  reason  had  none. 

"Tuesday  evening,  August  27th.  The  king's  condition  has 
been  all  day  much  the  same  as  that  of  yesterday.  His  Maj- 
esty grows  weaker,  and  has  had  some  moments  of  uncon- 
sciousness. ...  In  the  afternoon,  toward  evening,  he  had 
Pere  Le  Tellier  summon  the  Comte  de  Pontchartrain,  Secre- 
tary of  State,  to  whom  he  said :  '  As  soon  as  I  am  dead,  you 
will  give  the  orders  to  have  my  heart  taken  to  the  Grand 
Jesuits,  and  placed  there  in  the  same  manner  as  that  of  the 
late  king,  my  father.  I  do  not  wish  that  there  should  be  much 
expense.'  He  gave  this  order  with  the  same  tranquillity  with 
which,  in  health,  he  would  have  ordered  a  fountain  for  Ver- 
sailles or  Marly.  He  had  given  orders  in  the  morning  that 
as  soon  as  he  was  dead  they  should  take  the  dauphin  to 
Vincennes,  and  as  the  grand  marshal  of  lodgings  had  never 
assigned  the  apartments  in  that  chateau,  where  the  court  had 
not  been  for  more  than  fifty  years,  His  Majesty  ordered  them 
to  take  a  plan  of  Vincennes  from  a  place  that  he  indicated, 
and  give  it  to  the  grand  marshal  of  lodgings  to  assist  him  in 
his  work.  In  the  evening  the  king  said  to  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  :  '  I  have  always  heard  that  it  is  difficult  to  die.  As  for 
myself,  since  I  am  now  almost  at  that  moment  so  formidable 
to  men,  I  do  not  find  that  it  will  be  difficult.'  Certainly  there 
are  few  examples  where  a  man  has  faced  death  for  so  long  a 
time  with  equal  coolness  and  courage. 

"  Wednesday  evening,  August  28th.  The  night  of  the 
king  has  been  like  the  preceding.  At  seven  in  the  morning, 
he  sent  for  Pere  Le  Tellier,  who  had  just  left  the  bedchamber. 
This  made  great  commotion  in  the  chateau,  for  every  one 

437 


Versailles  and  the  Court  under  Louis  XIV 

thought  that  the  king  was  in  extremity.  At  that  moment, 
seeing  in  one  of  the  mirrors  two  of  the  gargons  of  the  Cham- 
ber, who  were  weeping  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  the  king  said  to 
them :  '  Why  do  you  weep  ?  Is  it  because  you  thought  me 
immortal?  I  have  never  believed  myself  to  be  so,  and  con- 
sidering my  age,  you  should  have  been  prepared  for  a  long 
time  to  lose  me.'  ... 

"  Thursday,  August  29th.  They  continued  last  night  and 
to-day  to  give  the  king,  every  eight  hours,  the  remedy  of 
Brun,^  whom  they  even  brought  into  the  bedchamber  with  the 
other  doctors,  each  time  that  the  king  took  it.  It  appeared 
for  a  short  time  that  the  elixir  gave  the  king  more  strength ; 
and  as  many  people  here  are  extreme  in  everything,  above  all 
the  women,  they  looked  upon  Brun  as  a  sort  of  angel  sent 
from  heaven  to  save  the  king,  and  wished  to  throw  all  the 
court  doctors  into  the  river.  .  .  . 

"  Friday,  August  30th.  The  king  has  been  all  day  in 
drowsiness  and  with  little  consciousness.  When  his  leg  was 
examined  this  evening,  they  found  that  the  gangrene  had 
spread  from  the  knee  into  the  thigh.  The  king's  constitu- 
tion is  so  good  that  he  still  fights  against  death.  He  took  ice, 
and  drank  water  from  time  to  time.  In  drinking  he  said 
some  words,  but  so  indistinctly  that  they  could  not  be  under- 
stood. Madame  de  Maintenon  left  at  five  o'clock  for  St.  Cyr, 
never  to  return.  .  .  . 

"Saturday  evening,  August  31st.  The  king  has  been 
without  consciousness  nearly  always  throughout  the  day. 
His  lucid  moments  have  been  very  short,  and  his  conscious- 
ness more  mechanical  than  anything  else.  From  the  few 
words  he  has  spoken,  he  has  appeared  impatient  at  not  seeing 
the  end  of  his  long  agony.     The  gangrene  continues  to  make 

^"A  rustic  heard  of  the  extrem-   would  cure  the  gangrene."     Saint- 
ity  of  the  king,  and  came  to  Ver-    Simon, 
sailles  with  a  remedy  which  he  said 

438 


The  End  of  the  Reign 


progress,  and  yet  death  does  not  come  to  finish  the  work  of 
destruction,  so  great  is  the  force  of  his  constitution. 

*'  Sunday,  September  ist,  1715.  The  king  died  this  morn- 
ing at  a  quarter  past  eight.  He  gave  up  his  soul  without  any 
effort,  as  a  candle  that  goes  out."  ^ 

On  the  9th  of  September,  after  vespers,  the  body  of  Louis 
XIV,  which  had  been  lying  in  state  in  the  salon  of  Mercury, 
was  placed  in  a  coffin,  and  borne  to  the  royal  courtyard, 
where  the  funeral  car,  draped  in  black  and  silver,  stood 
ready.  The  officers  of  the  Household  moved  in  the  glare  of 
the  torches;  the  horses  and  the  grooms  of  the  Stables  were 
half  hidden  in  the  gloom.  An  order  or  two;  a  clatter  of 
hoofs ;  a  responsive  rumble  of  wheels ;  and  the  Grand  Monarch 
was  gone. 

In  such  fashion  the  Sun  King  disappeared  in  the  darkness, 
and  with  him  ended  the  ideals  and  aspirations  of  an  Age. 
He  stood  for  the  Seventeenth  Century.  But  a  new  Century 
had  come,  smiling,  mocking,  skeptical,  doubting  all  things, 
even  the  divinity  of  a  king. 

^  Dangeau,  II. 


439 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Abundance,  salon  of,  i6 

Agates,  cabinet  of,  41 

Albe,  Due  d',  286 

Anjou,  Philippe,  Due  d',  15,  20,  47, 
272;  his  personal  appearance  and 
character,  294-296 ;  375,  2,71,  382, 

383 
Anne  of  Austria,  120,  184,  302 
Antechamber,  of  the  queen,  31 ;  of 

the  king,  35 
Apollo,  salon  of,  20,  21 ;  basin  of, 

88;  baths  of,  94-96 
Appartement,  17,  20,  344,  364-366, 

414 
Arch  of  Triumph,  bosquet  of,  93,  94 
Armagnac,  Madame  d',  223 
Aubigne,  Comte  d',  228 
Audran,  Claude  (painter),  19 
Aumont,  M.  d',  397 

Balin,  Claude,  50 

Ballon,  Sieur,  84 

Barbezieux,  M.  de,  182 

Baron  (actor),  288 

Baths,  apartments  of  the,  51 

Battles,  Gallery  of,  48 

Bavaria,  Dauphine  of,  26,  48,  49, 

254,  272,  273-276,  393 
Beauvilliers,  Due  de,  167,  281,  340, 

356,  374 
Bedchamber,  of  the  queen,  26;  of 

Louis  XIV,  36-39 
Bellefonds,  Marechal  de,  124 
Benoist,  Antoine  (sculptor),  39 
Beringhen,  Marquis  de,  69 
Bernard,  Samuel,  199 
Bernin  (sculptor),  18 
Berry,  Charles,  Due  de,  15,  47,  ^6, 

156,  253,  258,  264,  268,  272,  284, 

295 ;  his  personal  appearance  and 

character,  297-301 ;  370,  375,  377, 

382,  383,  385,  425 
Berry,  Duchesse  de,   174,   175,  258, 

263,  264.  269,  292,  300,  301,  402 
Blainville,  Marquis  de,  374,  377 
Blanchard,  Jacques,  18 


Bloin,  239 

Boileau,  Abbe,  361 

Bontemps  (first  valet  of  the  king), 
149,  200,  231 

Bossuet,  J.  B.,  206,  249 

Bouche  du  Roi,  service  of,  58-66 

Boufflers,  Marechal  de,  191,  340, 
421-422 

Bouillon,  Cardinal  de,  340 

Boule,  Andre,  41,  50 

Bourbon,  Due  de,  50,  339,  375 

Bourbon,  Duchesse  de;  see  Mile,  de 
Nantes 

Bourbon,  Grand   (orange  tree),  100 

Bourbon,  Henri  Jules  de,  339,  375 

Bourdaloue,  Pere,  56,  362,  370 

Bourgogne,  Louis,  Due  de,  15,  47, 
48,  III,  156,  174,  255,  258,  264, 
268,  271 ;  his  birth  and  character, 
272-278;  281,  282,  284,  286,  292, 
293.  295,  369,  372;  fetes  at  his 
marriage,  374-384;  385,  391,  406 

Bourgogne,  Marie  Adelaide,  Du- 
chesse de,  15,  26,  2"],  T,2,  57,  76, 
90 ;  at  the  Menagerie,  103-105 ;  at 
Trianon,  in,  112;  at  Marly,  133, 
136,  137;  174,  175.  211,  212,  239, 
244,  245,  255,  258,  264,  266,  269, 
271 ;  her  personal  appearance  and 
character,  279-293;  311,  349,  359, 
370;  fetes  at  her  marriage,  374- 
384;  386,  390,  391-393,  406,  407, 
408,  412,  413,  415,  417,  418 

Boyceau,  81 

Brionne,  Comte  de,  71 

Brissac,  Major  of  the  Body-Guards, 
10,  362 

Brun,  438 

Buildings,  superintendent  of,  152 

Bureau  du  Roi,  61 

Cabinet,  service  of  the,  150 
Caffieri,  Jacques,  14,  23,  39 
Cassel,  battle  of,  304 
Cent-Suisses.  9,  10,  31,  34,  401 
Chamber,  service  of  the,  148 


443 


Index 


Chamillart,  M.  de,  35,  41,  218,  239 

Chapel,  description  of  the,  54-56 ; 
service  of  the,  151,  152 

Chartres,  PhiHppe,  Due  de,  50,  141- 
143,  248,  265,  266,  297,  298,  299, 
300,  301,  304,  305,  306,  308,  311, 
312,  313,  317,  318;  his  personal 
appearance  and  character,  321- 
325;  326,  327,  334,  360,  363.  375, 
Z77,  382,  384,  402,  418,  435,  436 

Chartres,  Mile,  de  Blois,  Duchesse 
de,  17s,  259,  265,  269,  30s,  316, 
2)^7-,  323 ;  her  personal  appear- 
ance and  character,  325-327 ;  329, 
330,  376,  377,  382,  384 

Chouin,  Mile,  de,  254,  257,  263 

Clagny,  Chateau  of,  5,  116 

Clement,  M.,  275,  286 

Clement  X,  Pope,  98 

Clocks,  salon  of,  41 

Coislin,  Cardinal  de,  281,  376 

Coislin,  Due  de,  358 

Colbert,  J.  B.,  4,  5,  84,  181,  216,  246, 
420 

Colonnade,  97,  98 

Conde,  Louis  de  Bourbon,  Prince 
de.  14,  127 

Conde,  Mile,  de,  376 

Conti,  Prince  de,  250,  339,  369 

Conti,  Mile,  de  Blois,  La  Grande 
Princesse  de,  175,  251,  261,  262, 
328,  329,  330,  331,  376,  378,  382, 

384. 
Corneille,  Michel,  27 
Corpus  Christi,  ceremony  of,  400 
Cotte,  Robert  de,  55 
Coucher,  grand,  176-178;  petit,  178, 

179 
Council,  Hall  of  the,  39 
Courtenvaux,  M.  de,  194,  195 
Coustou  (sculptor),  132 
Couvert,  grand,  31,  32,  66;  petit, 

31,  39 
Coypel,  32,  55 
Coyzevox  (sculptor),  22,  23,  87,  93, 

132 
Crequi,  Due  de,  123 

Dangeau,  Marquis  de,  47,  134,  366, 

367,  368,  374 
Delafosse,  Charles,  21,  55 
Delobel,  7,  11,  13,  33 
Denain,  battle  of.  211,  296,  425 
Desjardins,  Martin,  88 
Desmarets,  M.  de,  199 


Despatches,  Council  of,  181 

Despreaux,  197 

Destouches   (musician).  406 

Diana,  salon  of,  18;  cabinet  of,  88 

Dorbay,  13 

Dubois,  Abbe,  321 

Duras,  M.  de,  217,  340,  350,  396 

Dussieux,  43,  292 

Duval  (sculptor),  92 

ElbcEuf,  Due  d'.  340 
Espinoy,  Madame  d',  252 
Etiquette,  at  Marly,   135,   136,   188; 
at  Versailles,  220-224,  352-354 

Fagon,    M.    (doctor    of   the   king), 
149,   169,   170,  260,  262,  292,  428, 

429,  431 
Fenelon,  277 
Fetes,  at  Versailles,  120-127,  374- 

394 
Feuillade,  Marechal  de  la,  99,  416 
Fiesque,  Comtesse  de,  341 
Finance,  Council  of,  181 
Fleury,  Cardinal,  133 
Fontanges.  Mile,  de,  214 
Fouquet,  M.  de,  4,  81,  loi 
France,  Children  of,  47,  272 
Francine,  Pierre  de,  84 
Fronsac.  Due  de,  359 
Fruit-loft,  61 
Furstemberg,  Cardinal  de,  45 

Gabriel  (architect),  8 

Gallery,  grand,  23-25 ;  little,  41 ;  of 

Louis  XIII,  49 
Gambling,  at  court,  366-370 
Genoa,   Doge  of,  25.    loi,   198;   his 

reception  at  Versailles,  395-397 
Gerome,  J.  L.  (painter),  14 
Gesvres,  Due  de,  340 
Gesvres,  Duchesse  de,  330 
Girardon    (sculptor),  91 
Glapion,  Madame  de,  239,  241 
Grammont.  Due  de.  422 
Grand  cabinet  of  the  queen,  27 
Grand  canal,  89,  90 
Grand  Commun.  58-66. 
Guards,    Hall    of   the   Queen's.   32; 

Hall    of   the    King's,    34;    Grand 

Hall  of  the,  46 ;  captain  of  the,  52 

Harcourt,  Prince  d',  341 
Harcourt,  Princesse  d',  358,  359,  412, 
413 


444 


Index 


Harlay,  Pres.  of  Parliament,  341 
Henriette  d'Angleterre,  303 
Hercules,  salon  of,  16 
Houasse   (painter),  17,  19 
Hunting-Train,  74-78 

James  H  of  England,  49,  71,  373, 

378,  384,  406 
Jewels,  cabinet  of,  41 
Journeys,  of  the  court,  153,  345 
Jouvenet,  Jean   (painter),  19,  55 

Keller,  87 

Kennels,  74-78 

King,  service  of  the,  147-153 

King's  evil,  touching  for  the,  400 

King's  Meat,  63 

Kitchen-Garden,  loi,  102 

La  Bruyere,  56,  339,  361,  423 

La  Chaise,  Pere.  42,  193,  209,  231, 

293 

La  Fontaine,  205 

Langlee,  M.  de,  341,  366 

Langlois,  92 

La  Marck,  Comtesse  de,  341 

La  Quintinie,  Jean,  loi,  102 

Latona,  fountain  and  parterre  of, 
88 

Lauzun,  Due  de,  196,  340,  360 

La  Vrilliere,  M.  de,  351 

Lebrun,  Charles   (painter),  22,  23, 
25,  86,  93 

Lemercier  (architect),  3,  81 

Lemoine  (painter),  25 

Le  Notre,  Andre,  81-83,  87,  92,  98, 
99,  108 

Levau  (architect),  4,  5,  13 

Lever,  of  the  king,  36,  38;  grand, 
159-164;  petit,  158,  159 

Livry,  M.  de.  201 

Lorges,  Marechal  de,  252 

Lorraine,  Prince  de,  394 

Louis  XIII,  4,  9,  II,  36,  184,  302 

Louis  XIV,  his  first  visit  to  Ver- 
sailles, 3  ;  builds  Versailles,  4,  5  ; 
establishes  himself  at  Versailles, 
6 ;  inspects  his  troops,  10 ;  adores 
the  cross,  15 ;  sends  his  silver 
furniture  to  the  mint,  25 ;  dines 
with  the  queen,  31 ;  changes  his 
wig,  40 ;  plays  billiards,  41  ;  visits 
his  cabinet  of  Medals.  42 ;  works 
in  the  apartments  of  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  44;   brings  James   II 


to  apartments  of  Monseigneur, 
49;  addresses  Massillon,  56; 
ceremony  of  his  public  dinner, 
61-66 ;  visits  his  stables,  69 ;  goes 
to  the  hunt.  76;  addresses  Le 
Notre,  82 ;  sails  on  the  canal,  90 ; 
visits  the  Salle  de  Bal,  97;  visits 
the  Colonnade,  98 ;  walks  in  the 
Kitchen-Garden,  102 ;  visits  the 
Menagerie,  105 ;  finds  fault  with 
Louvois,  107,  108;  amuses  him- 
self at  Trianon,  iii;  gives  fetes, 
120-127;  his  life  at  Marly,  133- 
137 ;  his  daily  life  at  Versailles, 
154-179;  his  method  of  work, 
180-183 ;  his  personal  appear- 
ance and  character,  184-219; 
marries  Madame  de  Maintenon, 
231 ;  works  in  the  apartments  of 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  235-237 ; 
his  interview  with  Louvois,  242, 
243 ;  shows  Madame  de  Mainte- 
non the  camp  at  Compiegne, 
244-246;  his  Memoirs,  249;  is  at 
the  death  of  Monseigneur,  261- 
263 ;  is  at  the  birth  of  the  Due 
de  Bourgogne,  273-276 ;  meets  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  279 ;  his 
affection  for  her,  283 ;  is  at  the 
birth  of  the  Due  de  Bretagne, 
285-287;  proclaims  the  Due 
d'Anjou  King  of  Spain,  295 ;  his 
quarrel  with  Monsieur,  305-307 ; 
is  at  the  death  of  Monsieur,  310- 
312;  makes  a  will  in  favor  of  M. 
du  Maine,  332-334 ;  mechanism  of 
his  life,  349-351  ;  his  manners  and 
morals,  355-357;  is  at  the  mar- 
riage of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne, 
375-384 ;  receives  the  Doge  of 
Genoa,  395-397 ;  receives  the  am- 
bassadors of  Siam,  397,  398 ; 
washes  the  feet  of  the  poor,  398, 
399 ;  receives  the  ambassador  of 
Persia.  401-403 ;  revives  the  plays 
of  Moliere,  408 ;  goes  to  Paris, 
416,  417;  his  illness  and  death, 
425-439 
Louis  XV,  14,  25,  26,  40,  49,  288,  402, 

434 
Louis  XVI,  40,  50 
Louis  Philippe,  26,  34,  38,  43,  49 
Louvois,     Frangois      (Minister     of 

War),  107-109,  181,  192,  208,  231, 

242,  243,  246,  424 


445 


Index 


Louvre,  honors  of  the,  7 

Luchet,  7 

LulH  (musician),  120,  121,  125,  405, 

406 
Luxembourg,  M.  de,  209,  340,  389 
Lyonne,  Abbe  de,  397 

Mailly,  Comtesse  de,  340,  351 

Maine,  Due  du,  52,  75,  156,  I75,  I93, 
228,  331,  332-334,  375,  378,  428, 
432 

Maine,  Duchesse  du,  335 

Maintenon,  Madame  de,  31,  32; 
her  apartments  at  Versailles,  43- 
45;  52,  54,  56,  107;  her  apart- 
ments at  Trianon,  iio;  112,  131, 
134,  ^37,  139,  173,  182,  192,  193, 
203,  204,  208,  212,  214,  224;  her 
personal  appearance  and  charac- 
ter, 227-248;  257,  258,  262,  266, 
279,  280,  289,  292,  301,  310,  311, 
312,  313,  316,  320,  324,  325,  33^- 
335,  344,  357,  407,  4o8,  410,  428, 
429.  432,  433,  436,  438 

Maison  du  Roi,  service  of,  58-00 

Maison  Militaire,  9,  10 

Mansart,  J.  H.   (architect),  5,  55, 
67,  98,  99 

Marble  court,  11,  12,  40 

Marie  Antoinette,  26,  27,  32,  49,  50, 
404 

Marie  Leczinska,  26,  32 

Marie  Therese,  18,  26,  27;  her 
character,  28 ;  her  death,  29-31 ; 
her  household,  32 ;  120,  230,  357 

Marly,  machine  of,  85,  116;  descrip- 
tion of,  128-134;  court  life  at, 
134-140;  destruction  of,  140-144 

Mars,  salon  of,  19 

Marsy  (sculptor),  88 

Massillon,  Pere,  56,  362 

Mazarin,  Cardinal,  23,  25,  117,  180, 
188 

Mazeline  (sculptor),  93 

Mecklenbourg,  Christian  Louis  of, 
356 

Medals,  cabmet  of,  42 

Menagerie,  103-105,  284 

Mercury,  salon  of,  19,  20 

Michu,  55 

Mignard,  Pierre  (painter),  42,  50, 
86 

Ministers,  court  of  the,  8 

Moliere,  Jean  Baptiste  (dramatist), 
12,  120-127,  205,  408,  409 


Monseigneur,  Louis  of  France 
(Grand  Dauphin),  15;  his  apart- 
ments at  Versailles,  49,  50 ;  69,  97, 
109,  130,  156,  237 ;  his  personal 
appearance  and  character,  249- 
271 ;  272,  274,  281,  285,  309,  328, 
330,  350,  368,  369,  375,  376,  377, 
380,  385,  387,. 393,  417,  420,  421 

Montauban.  Princesse  de,  299 

Montbron,  M.  de,  371 

Montchevreuil,  231 

Montespan,  Marquise  de,  26,  30,  42, 
52,  95,  106,  123,  229,  232,  233,  328, 
344,  357.  366 

Montesquieu,  22 

Montpensier,  La  Grande  Mile,  de, 
188,  349 

Mothe,  Marechale  de  la,  47,  169, 
272,  287 

Nantes,  Mile,  de,  228,  328-330,  370, 

376,  378,  382,  388 
Nantes,  Revocation  of  Edict  of, 

203,  238,  246,  420 
Napoleon  L  46,  no,  144,  183 
Nemours,  Duchesse  de,  340 
Neptune,  basin  of,  92 
Noailles,  Cardinal  de,  56 
Noailles,  Due  de,  141,  291 
Nobility,  at  Versailles,  336-341 
Noeret,  36 
Nolhae,  Pierre  de,  50 

CEil-de-Bceuf,  35,  36 

Orange,  Prince  of,  209,  304 

Orangery,  99,  100 

Orleans,  Bishop  of,  340 

Orleans,  Elizabeth  Charlotte,  Du- 
chesse d',  76,  132,  136,  198,  231, 
288;  her  personal  appearance  and 
character,  313-320;  356,  368,  373, 
376,  377,  382,  384,  391,  411,  418 

Orleans,  Philippe,  Due  d',  130,  156, 
168,  175,  187,  222,  237;  his  per- 
sonal appearance  and  character, 
302-313;  315,  317,  318,  321,  330, 
368,  375,  376,  377.  382,  396,  418 

Orleans,  Philippe,  Due  d'  (regent)  ; 
see  Philippe,  Due  de  Chartres 

Orleans,  Mile,  de  Blois.  Duchesse 
d' ;  see  Duchesse  de  Chartres 

Pages,  royal,  72,  73 
Panache,  Madame,  412 
Parterre  du  Midi,  96 


446 


Index 


Parterre  du  Nord,  91 

Peace,  salon  of,  25 

Pecourt  (dancer),  405 

Pellisson,  180 

Perrault  (architect),  91 

Peter  the  Great  of  Russia,  248 

Plumartin,  Marquis  de,  394 

Pontchartrain,  M.  de,  182,  401 

Pontchartrain,  Madame  de,  390-393 

Pont  du  Jour,  cabinet  of,  88 

Poverty,  in  Paris  and  the  provinces, 

421-423 
Provence,  Comte  de,  50 
Puysieux,  M.  de,  341 

Quartermaster's  Department,  61 
Quentin    (barber  of  the  king),  40, 

Quinault  (musician),  125,  126,  405, 
406 

Racine,  48,  134,  150,  227,  407 

Rainsant,  42 

Richelieu,  Cardinal,  117 

Rigaud,  H.  (painter),  18 

Robert,  H.,  95 

Rochefort,  Marechale  de,  340 

Rochefoucauld,  M.  de  la,  74,  75, 

114,  212,  213,  340,  346 
Rose  (secretary  of  the  king),  150, 

151 
Roulles,  Pierre,  205 

Sagniel,  143,  144 

Saint-Aignan,  Due  de,  298 

Saint-Simon,  Due  de,  47,  98,  130, 
141-143,  200-202,  212-214,  255- 
270,  297-300 ;  his  character,  341- 
343;  410,  426,  428,  430,  432 

Saint-Simon,  Madame  de,  222,  223, 
282,  299,  348,  430 

Salle  de  Bal,  97 

Savoy,  Duke  of,  279 

Seneffe,  battle  of,  127 

Seve,  Gilbert  de,  26 

Sevigne,  Madame  de,  6,  2i^>  2^7 

Shopkeepers,  salon  of,  46 

Siam,  ambassadors  of,  69,  81,  loi ; 
their  reception  at  Versailles,  397, 
398 

Soanen,  Pere,  56,  362 

Soubise,  Madame  de,  214 

Sourches,  Marquis  de,  398 

Spain,  Infanta  of,  26 


Spanheim,  185 

Spanish  Succession,  War  of  the,  296 

Stables,  royal,  67-73 

Staircase,  ambassadors',  13,  14; 

marble,  22> 
State,  Council  of.  8,  181 
St.  Cyr,  school  of,  241,  242 
St.  Esprit,  ceremony  of,  400 
St.  Leger,  stud  of,  68 

Tellier,  Pere,  207,  258,  431 

Thetis,  Grotto  of,  95 

Three  Fountains,  bosquet  of,  93 

Torcy,   Marquis   de,  223 

Torcy,  Marquis  de,  426,  435 

Toulouse,  Comte  de,  52,  74,  75,  156, 

17s,  335 
Toulouse,  Comtesse  de,  335 
Trianon,  106-112 
Trou-madame,  19 
Tuby,  23,  87,  93 

Ursins,  Princesse  des,  137-140,  247 

Valliere,  Louise,  Duchesse  de  la, 
120,  123,  125,  214,  328,  344,  357 

Van  der  Meulen  (painter),  14 

Vardes,  M.  de,  337 

Vauban,  M.  de,  84,  208 

Vaux.  Chateau  of,  4,  81 

Vendome,  M.  de,  41,  75,  340 

Ventadour,  Madame  de,  142,  402, 
434 

Venus,  salon  of,  17 

Vermandois,  Comte  de,  30,  328 

Versailles,  construction  and  build- 
ings of,  3-6;  courtyards  of,  7-12; 
apartments  of,  13-53 ;  dependen- 
cies of,  58-78 ;  gardens  of,  81-100 ; 
parks  of,  113,  114;  cost  of,  115, 
116;  meaning  of,  117-119 

Vigarani,  124 

Villars,  Marechal  de,  141,  211,  296, 
425 

Villeroi,  Due  de,  142,  340,  410 

Villeroi,  M.  de,  3,  41 

Villiers,  197 

Vivonne,  Marechal  de,  232 

War,  salon  of,  22 

Wardrobe,  service  of  the,  52,  151 

Wigs,  cabinet  of,  40 

Zinzendorf,  Comte  de,  295 


447 


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